Bulgaria adopts 2026 budget amid EU deficit concerns

The Bulgarian government presented its 2026 draft budget, describing it as a realistic but technically focused document that aims to address the fiscal deficits inherited from previous administrations. Prime Minister Rumen Radev emphasized that the new budget will sustain social payments and set a stable course, while also preparing the framework for the 2027 budget.

Former Deputy Finance Minister Georgi Kadiyev criticized the budget as a continuation of past shortcomings, accusing the previous cabinet of misleading the public about euro‑zone readiness and highlighting the European Commission's opening of an excessive‑deficit procedure against Bulgaria. He called for a reshuffle of the finance ministry staff and warned that accounting tricks could mask an underlying debt trajectory that threatens fiscal stability.

Both officials noted the importance of future investment, energy supply agreements with Turkey, and Bulgaria's commitment to collective security, but the budget’s limited growth prospects and ongoing EU scrutiny underscore the challenges ahead.