# Bulgarian Finance Minister faces scrutiny over pension fund > Developing situation record from CLSTR: https://clstr.news/situations/bulgarian-pension-system-reform-controversy > Updated: 2026-11-07T17:12:00.000Z. Sources: 24. Developments: 4. The Bulgarian government continues to face scrutiny regarding allegations of pension reform. While Finance Minister Galab Donev has maintained that no formal proposal to redirect contributions from the private second pillar to the state-run National Social Security Institute (NSSI) exists in official correspondence or the 2027 draft budget, new discrepancies have emerged. On November 7, 2026, the political group “Da, Bulgaria” raised concerns regarding the authenticity of official communications between the Finance Ministry and the European Commission. The group alleges that two different versions of a letter dated November 2, 2026, exist under the same identification number (37-01-66). According to these allegations, one version of the document reportedly proposes a temporary redirection of pension funds to accelerate the reduction of the budget deficit, whereas the other version lacks this measure and presents different deficit forecasts. “Da, Bulgaria” has called for the immediate release of all related correspondence and intends to contact the European Commission to verify which text was officially received and whether the government modified its position or issued two distinct documents under a single reference number. This development follows earlier claims by opposition leaders Bozhidar Bozhanov and Ivaylo Mirchev, who argued that a plan to reduce private pension contributions from 5% to 2.5% between 2027 and 2029 would divert funds belonging to approximately 5 million citizens to cover budget deficits. ## Claims - Natural gas prices in Bulgaria are expected to increase by 33 percent in November. (reported by 1 source) - The Energy and Water Regulatory Commission increased gas prices for November by 32.52%. (reported by 1 source) - The government denies any plans to redirect contributions from the second pension pillar to the NSSI. (reported by 8 sources) - Opposition claims the government discussed redirecting 2.5% of pension contributions to the NSSI with the European Commission. (reported by 5 sources) - The proposal to redirect funds is not in the November 2, 2026, correspondence to the European Commission. (reported by 4 sources) - The 2027 budget plan was sent to the European Commission for approval on October 15. (reported by 2 sources) - Bozhidar Bozhanov presented a letter dated November 2 regarding pension fund redirection. (reported by 2 sources) - The minimum wage in Bulgaria will be 660 euros starting January 1, 2027. (reported by 1 source) - Maternity benefits for the second year are projected to become 450 euros. (reported by 1 source) - Pensions will be updated using the Swiss rule starting July 1. (reported by 1 source) - The maximum insurance income is expected to increase by 100 euros. (reported by 1 source) - The proposal would reduce the second pillar contribution from 5% to 2.5%. (reported by 1 source) ## Timeline ### 2026-11-07: Bulgaria political party alleges dual versions of pension letter to EU The “Da, Bulgaria” party alleges the Bulgarian government sent two different letters to the EU under the same ID number regarding pension contribution reforms and budget deficit projections. 4 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/bulgaria-finance-minister-faces-scrutiny-over-dual-versions-of-ec-letter ### 2026-11-05: Bulgarian Finance Minister denies pension reform proposals Bulgarian Finance Minister Galab Donev denied allegations that the government proposed transferring funds from private pension pillars to the state social security institute to cover budget deficits. 11 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/radan-kanev-queries-european-commission-over-bulgarian-pension-reforms ### 2026-11-03: Bulgaria political dispute over second pension pillar reform Bulgarian opposition parties allege the government planned to divert private pension contributions to the state, a claim officials dismiss as disinformation following the release of a controversial budget-era-v 19 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/bulgarian-opposition-protests-potential-pension-fund-changes ### 2026-10-29: Bulgaria: New rules for second pension pillar effective 2027 Over 50% of Bulgarians choosing second pension sub-funds have opted for dynamic, high-stock options, according to BAADPO. 2 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/bulgaria-new-rules-for-second-pension-pillar-effective-2027 --- Cite as: Bulgarian Finance Minister faces scrutiny over pension fund. CLSTR, https://clstr.news/situations/bulgarian-pension-system-reform-controversy