site.btaOmbudsman to Challenge Budget Changes on Minimum Wage and Work Experience Rules

Bulgarian Ombudsman Velislava Delcheva said in an interview with Nova TV on Saturday that she will request the Constitutional Court (CC) to declare unconstitutional the method for calculating the minimum wage and the calculation of length of service, adopted in the 2026 State Budget Act.

She said her concerns are related to amendments introduced through the transitional and final provisions of the law, namely the removal of the mechanism for calculating the minimum wage and the change in the rules for calculating length of service for people working part-time for four hours a day.

On July 24, Parliament finally adopted the 2026 State Budget Act.

The main grounds for the request to the Constitutional Court are the misuse of legislative procedures and the violation of the right to work and additional social rights through these changes, the public defender said.

“What worries me most is that such a major change, which will affect more than 300,000 citizens, was introduced through transitional and final provisions,” Delcheva said. When such a significant change is made, it cannot happen without a prior impact assessment and without hearing the views of the people, nor should it be introduced through transitional and final provisions of a budget law, she added.

Four-hour employment is usually used by mothers and people with disabilities who are not able to work eight hours a day, Delcheva said. According to her, such a change requires very careful consideration before being voted on, because “ultimately, the Constitution states that Bulgaria is a social state”.

The Ombudsman also said that the change concerning the minimum wage and the uncertainty surrounding the mechanism for its determination should have undergone broad public consultation. “The uncertainty that is being created is unacceptable,” Delcheva said.

She also commented on the issue of the National Children’s Hospital. According to Delcheva, there is no clear timeline from the authorities for the construction of such a medical facility. 

Delcheva added that the Ombudsman’s institution continues to receive complaints about high prices. “Personally, I do not feel that prices are decreasing,” she said. This is also confirmed by the citizens I speak with, which is why I believe the government needs to make further efforts in this direction. The latest legislative amendments included positive steps, but control must be unconditional, Delcheva said.