site.btaPrices Rising, People's Incomes Not Keeping Pace - MP Valkov

Prices are rising, but people's incomes are not keeping pace, said Gabriel Valkov of the BSP-United Left parliamentary group here Thursday. He was speaking to reporters in the corridors of Parliament a day after his parliamentary group proposed that Parliament review the 2026 budget submitted by the outgoing government at the end of 2025.

"Our proposals in the budget are clear and have been agreed upon with trade unions and employers," the MP added. He said that they had proposed increasing payments to raise people's incomes, including raising the minimum wage, maternity benefits, pensions and teachers' salaries to 125% of the average wage. Valkov added that young doctors' salaries are also included in the budget and can be increased through it.

Valkov stated that the caretaker government, which is about to take office, also remains without a budget. He added that the country could enter a cycle of repeated elections and have no approved budget for the whole year, instead working with one twelfth of the 2025 budget. "This is problematic - there is inflation, and we are working with a budget that was adopted a year ago," the MP explained.

When asked by journalists whether adopting a new budget before elections wouldn't lead to money being handed out indiscriminately, Valkov replied that it was a matter of common sense on the part of the political parties.

He added that there is not enough political will from the other parties to solve the problems of the people and that the parties are not interested in people's incomes.