site.btaParliament Chair Sees Adopting 2025 State Budget by Christmas as Unlikely

Parliament Chair Nataliya Kiselova told the Bulgarian National Television on Friday night that she does not see having the 2025 State Budget adopted by Christmas as a likely scenario. She pointed out that the legislation was only tabled earlier Friday, at 5:30 p.m.

Kiselova said: "My understanding, and I hope my colleagues would agree as well, is that it would be better to delay a little, not to rush, because in the rush everyone would want to outdo each other and promise [too] much." She added that the budget should be balanced and finetuned to avoid problems in the future.

Asked about President Rumen Radev's decision not to invite the Movement for Rights and Freedoms - New Beginning parliamentary group for consultations before handing over the first mandate for the formation of a cabinet, Kiselova pointed out while this was a precedent, it was the President's prerogative to do so. She added: "I would like all MPs, as long as they are ones, to be treated equally. Since all parliamentary groups are the same, in terms of treatment, I would have invited them."

Asked about the prosecution service requesting the National Assembly to strip Alliance for Rights and Freedoms Deputy Floor Leader Dzheyhan Ibryamov and Continue the Change Co-Chair Kiril Petkov of their immunities, Kiselova said that this matter has two sides. One is personal and the other is whether this is an effort against the National Assembly to destabilize the delicate balance that it is trying to achieve.

She added: "Let us also give the prosecution an opportunity to present what they have gathered as evidence to prosecute my fellow MPs. It will be held accountable, if this is just an attack."

Commenting on her meeting with Radev and the possibility to accept the position of caretaker prime minister, Kiselova said that she told the President that he can rely on her. She continued: "The question of whether I would accept is a matter for the head of State to decide, but that, I think, is not on the agenda at the moment. I do not want to give the impression of trying to force new snap elections." She specified that while the elections can be a solution, they are not the only one.