Former Deputy Economy Minister Milen Keremedchiev told NOVA NEWS that the patched-together budget does not give him confidence, and he is more worried about what happens in 2027. He says the government needs a three-year economic plan because 2026 is loaded with expenses, but nobody knows where the money will come from. Foreign investment has tanked over the past two years, and the EU is already cutting funds because Bulgaria has not done the reforms it promised.
Keremedchiev thinks the rushed budget will probably get revised by mid-2026 since raising salaries will spike inflation even more. He called it a compromise budget designed to keep employers and unions happy rather than one that actually fixes anything, pointing out that Bulgaria only does reforms when Brussels forces them to.
The protests are not going away just because parliament passed a budget, according to Keremedchiev. Young people have started demanding more from the government, and that momentum is not stopping. He does not think Prime Minister Rosen Zhelyazkov will lose his job, though, since he has solid backing in parliament.
Keremedchiev thinks the rushed budget will probably get revised by mid-2026 since raising salaries will spike inflation even more. He called it a compromise budget designed to keep employers and unions happy rather than one that actually fixes anything, pointing out that Bulgaria only does reforms when Brussels forces them to.
The protests are not going away just because parliament passed a budget, according to Keremedchiev. Young people have started demanding more from the government, and that momentum is not stopping. He does not think Prime Minister Rosen Zhelyazkov will lose his job, though, since he has solid backing in parliament.
