site.btaGERB-UDF Objects to Government-Proposed Budget Measures

The GERB-UDF parliamentary group will not support the measures proposed by the government through amendments to the budget extension law, said the group's Deputy Floor Leader Denitsa Sacheva, approached by journalists in the corridors of the National Assembly on Tuesday ahead of a meeting of the interim Budget and Finance Committee.

Sacheva recalled that in the previous parliament, GERB-UDF proposed a comprehensive roadmap outlining how the pension system would develop over the coming year.

"It is unacceptable to begin budget-related measures with the most vulnerable groups. You can see an interesting trend emerging: on May 24, cuts to cultural spending were announced; on June 1, maternity benefits were targeted; and today we are witnessing the abolition of COVID supplements from July 1," she said.

Sacheva stated that scrapping the COVID supplements would save the budget EUR 2.9 million, equivalent to six payments under the controversial contract with the Turkish energy company BOTAS.

"If you think that this is how budget problems are solved, I am certain that not a single Bulgarian citizen will believe that argument. A comprehensive solution is needed, and this measure certainly does not resolve any budget problem," she said.

Commenting on party subsidies, Sacheva described the budgetary effect of the measure as "budget crumbs".

"This is a political hammer against democracy. The savings for the budget will amount to around EUR 3 million - another six payments under the BOTAS contract," she said.

According to her, the ruling parties are clearly expecting oligarchs to finance political parties.

Sacheva said GERB-UDF maintain the view that the parliamentary group of Prime Minister Rumen Radev's party, Progressive Bulgaria, "is in fact fighting parliamentary democracy rather than strengthening it. The opposition is being deprived of its oxygen, while those in power apparently intend to breathe primarily through the state apparatus. We oppose these measures."

Also speaking to reporters on the sidelines of parliament, GERB-UDF MP Temenuzhka Petkova said that raising the ceiling on government debt under an extended budget is contrary to the Public Finance Act. The GERB-UDF group will not support the measure allowing the government to take on new debt of up to EUR 3.8 billion, the former finance minister added.