site.btaUPDATED Democratic Bulgaria "Surprised" by PM's Call to Opposition to Back Budget

Democratic Bulgaria (DB) is "surprised" by the call of Prime Minister Rosen Zhelyazkov to the opposition to back the 2025 budget bill when it is ready, MP Bozhidar Bozhanov told reporters here Tuesday. "We have said clearly that we would back modernization policies and we do not rule out support for some texts [of the budget bill] if they match our priorities," said the MP.

His remark followed an announcement by the Prime Minister about the government's plans for the 2025 budget bill.

Bozhanov also said: "We wonder if the majority is still stable and if it will back the budget bill, and maybe then they won't need support from opposition MPs."

He noted DB has proposed concrete measures to cut on expenditures in the Interior Ministry system by streamlining its wage bill, to require civil servants to pay social security contributions instead of having the state pay the full amount for them, to oblige private hospitals to conduct tenders, and to reduce the public administration by 15% in stages over the next few years. "If we see these policies written down, we may support the respective provisions on second reading," Bozhanov said.

Yordan Ivanov of DB said they expect the incumbents to propose a budget which ensures Bulgaria's accession to the euro area and fosters economic growth rather than piecemeal public spending. "After the Prime Minister's statement earlier today, we've got the feeling and the reasonable suspicion that Mr Zhelyazkov is behaving as a hostage to a plot to sabotage Bulgaria's euro area bid," Ivanov commented, adding that GERB's state budget bill is a phantom because no one has seen it.

Ivaylo Mirchev said GERB have accepted their proposal for 20% VAT on restaurants. The restaurant business should not be placed in a privileged position, Mirchev commented. Discussing the dismissal of Deputy Finance Minister Lyudmila Petkova, Mirchev said there is obviously much turbulence in the Ministry of Finance, but it is a matter for the Prime Minister and the Finance Minister to comment on.

Concerning the Budget and Finance Committee's refusal to accept their proposal that candidates to regulatory institutions should undergo an integrity check, DB's Martin Dimitrov said: "The ruling majority obviously wants just to share them out and get them elected, which will result in bad regulators."