The draft 2026 state budget will be submitted to the Council of Ministers on July 1 and then forwarded to parliament the same day, Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Galab Donev told BNT. He described the financial framework as a continuation of previously approved policies, while also addressing concerns over deficit levels and outstanding public liabilities.
Donev said that part of the current fiscal pressures stem from expenditures accumulated between 2021 and 2023, including unpaid obligations that have been carried forward into later years. According to him, the 2026 budget incorporates around €1.15 billion in commitments approved by both regular and caretaker governments, which account for roughly one percentage point of the projected 5.7% deficit.
He also noted that the government is considering requesting guidance from Eurostat regarding how to classify more than €1 billion in unpaid liabilities within the Road Infrastructure Agency, alongside over €1 billion in unresolved municipal project obligations. Together, these items represent about 2% of the expected deficit calculation.
Donev stressed that Bulgaria met all requirements for eurozone entry and that the statistical data submitted to Eurostat were accurate. “We have entered the eurozone with correct data. What has been officially submitted to the European Commission is correct,” he said, rejecting claims of misreporting.
