site.btaCITUB President: Snap Elections, Caretaker Cabinet Will Mean No Political Responsibility for State Budget

If elections were held now, a caretaker government would have no capacity to draft the most difficult state budget of the past 30 years, said Confederation of Independent Trade Unions in Bulgaria (CITUB) resident Plamen Dimitrov on Wednesday in response to a question about the political situation in the country.

On Tuesday, GERB-UDF Floor Leader Boyko Borissov stated that his parliamentary group would no longer help secure a quorum in Parliament, raising doubts about whether GERB would remain part of the governing majority.

"This will not shift the responsibility onto [President] Radev, if anyone is counting on that," Dimitrov said. According to him, there will be no political accountability and not only could a weak budget be produced, but an unfeasible one - one that could create chaos and tension in both the state and the economy.

"What is the point in further destabilising the country when, according to pollsters, the outcome of the next elections will be roughly the same - the two parties, GERB and MRF - New Beginning, will still have to form a government - with or without someone else," Dimitrov argued. "Ultimately, this Government needs to continue in some form - whether through reformatting or reorganisation," he added.

Dimitrov said that CITUB is ready for talks with employers' organisations and the Podkrepa Confederation of Labour following a statement from the Confederation of Industrialists and Employers in Bulgaria (KRIB). However, he noted that the urgency and anxiety at present stem from a fiscal problem. He said CITUB has proposed tax reform on multiple occasions, but has never witnessed "such a nervous reaction" until now. "For the sake of fairness, we need to engage in a tax debate," he remarked.

Over the weekend, KRIB issued a statement in response to CITUB's comments regarding the country’s tax system. CITUB then responded and invited KRIB to a debate. On Monday, KRIB announced it would consider CITUB's proposal for an in-depth discussion on tax and social insurance issues at its next board meeting.