GERB has stated that it will not support the draft budget proposed by the government of Rumen Radev, announcing its position during a briefing in the National Assembly alongside Petar Moskov’s extra-parliamentary party KOD. The two formations also backed a proposal from KOD to amend the Constitution by introducing a cap on annual state debt growth at 0.5% of GDP, modeled on Germany’s fiscal framework.
The government is expected to present the detailed parameters of the new budget later in the day, adding further political weight to the debate over fiscal policy. GERB MP and former Finance Minister Vladislav Goranov warned that existing parliamentary decisions on borrowing may prove insufficient in practice and could trigger renewed discussions in parliament over debt limits and deficit levels. “My suspicions are that the state debt limit will exceed these 3.8 billion and we will have to have this debate in parliament again,” he said.
Commenting on whether GERB could ultimately back the budget, Goranov rejected the idea outright, arguing that it is not the role of the opposition to support the governing majority’s financial framework, while also acknowledging responsibility for the current fiscal situation. “No, it is not the opposition’s job to support the budget,” he said, pointing to the size of GERB’s parliamentary representation compared with the ruling majority.
