MP Dimo Drenchev from the “Revival” parliamentary group has criticized the government’s draft budget for 2026, arguing that it increases costs for citizens without delivering meaningful reforms, particularly in the transport and social systems.
Speaking to journalists in the National Assembly, Drenchev said Bulgaria would end up paying more for road vignette fees than Romania, while receiving returns comparable to the revenues generated by payments to the Turkish gas company “Botas” over a very short period.
“We will pay more for vignettes than in Romania, and the revenues will be like what we pay to Botas in less than three months,” he said.
The MP confirmed that his party will submit a series of proposals between the first and second readings of the budget. Among them are plans to redirect contributions from private universal pension funds back to the National Social Security Institute (NSSI), introduce a temporary tax on excess banking profits, and increase taxation on the gambling sector.
According to Drenchev, transferring pension contributions from universal funds to the state system could significantly improve the financial position of the NSSI, estimating an impact of nearly 4 billion leva on the social security deficit.
