'Madness and Irresponsibility': Experts and MPs Clash over Bulgaria’s 2026 Budget

GERB leader Boyko Borissov firmly stated in parliament that the 2026 state budget will neither be amended nor withdrawn, despite growing criticism from opposition parties and economists.

Borissov reminded that as early as 2020, members of “Democratic Bulgaria” such as Ivaylo Mirchev and Martin Dimitrov had argued that the budget was not right-leaning and had called for the removal of the dividend tax. He acknowledged that spending on pensions, wages, and social programs has risen significantly “without a clear source of revenue,” adding that part of the reserves accumulated under GERB’s previous government were later spent without control.

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