site.btaBSP - United Left Chair Zafirov: Not Adopting State Budget Will Lead to Severe Economic, Financial, Social Collapse

BSP - United Left Chair and Deputy Prime Minister Atanas Zafirov said that not adopting the state budget will lead to a free fall and severe collapse - economic, financial and social. Speaking to Bulgarian National Television on Tuesday, he expressed expectations that the budget will be supported by all political parties.

"There must be understanding  - same as the one we showed when we joined this Government and overcame our party egocentrism," the Bulgarian Socialist Party (BSP) acting Chair added. "This budget, which we will propose, will be the only one possible in this situation," he argued.

In his words, many of the parties will have to make a big compromise on the things they have been holding on to. He said the left would defend the policy of no austerity in relation to the social sector, no tax rises and no cuts in social payments.

Zafirov stressed that the caretaker government has irresponsibly promised funds that do not exist in the state budget. 

The Deputy Prime Minister also commented on the appointment of the regulators' heads, pointing out that professionalism will be the guiding principle in choosing the right people. He said they had not agreed on which seats in the regulators would go to the BSP - United Left. The conversation would be focusing on the expertise of these candidates and not loyalty to a political party, Zafirov added. He said unless dialogue and common sense were achieved, the seats would not be filled. 

Zafirov also commented on the election of the BSP chair, saying that the party is now a different, democratic party.

On the appointment of Lyudmila Petkova to the Public Financial Inspection Agency, Zafirov added that this was not discussed at the Joint Governance Council and "such discussions do not belong there." The Deputy Prime Minister pointed out that this was an unnecessary fixation. "Petkova was deputy finance minister and nobody protested, and when she was finance minister, all politicians met with her," Zafirov noted.