Parliament's Budget and Finance Committee approved the 2026 State Budget Bill at second reading following an extraordinary session that stretched for more than 12 hours, completing its review of the legislation after debating dozens of proposed amendments.
During the marathon meeting, lawmakers examined 69 amendments submitted between the first and second readings of the bill. The proposed budget is built around a projected fiscal deficit of 5.7% of GDP. Most amendments from opposition parties focused on expanding social spending, particularly measures aimed at supporting families, but none secured enough backing. Representatives of the governing majority argued that additional social policies would instead be addressed in the 2027 budget.
The committee also voted down a series of other proposals, including higher tax relief for families with children, preserving the Commission for Files as an independent institution, increasing the VAT registration threshold, maintaining the existing automatic salary adjustment mechanisms for military personnel and Interior Ministry employees, raising gambling fees, prohibiting gambling advertising, and keeping the current formula for determining the minimum wage.
