"The last thing that can worry me is the criticism of the opposition, especially those who have been in government for the last few years. In order to get to this point where we are proposing a budget of the possible, of the optimal, of stabilization and of the return of public finance management to normality, I cannot be worried by such criticism". This was stated in the program "Offensive with Lyubo Ognyanov" on NOVA NEWS by the Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly from "Progressive Bulgaria" Assoc. Prof. Ivan Angelov, commenting on the opposition's criticism of Budget 2026, which called it “killer“.
In his words, it is quite realistic and possible for the deficit to be reduced to 3% by 2029. "In the preliminary calculations, the Minister of Finance Galab Donev has indicated that the real deficit is about 7.4%. We are proposing a budget with a deficit of 5.7%. Within the next two or three years, the goal is to stabilize the budget and reduce the deficit to below 3%, thus fulfilling the requirements of the European Union," he explained.
Regarding inflation, which according to the BNB's estimates could reach 5.9%, Angelov pointed out: "No, this is not a cause for concern in any way. On the contrary, the situation with the budget at the moment is extremely worrying, but this is the possible budget. This is the reality. You see what the legacy is. There is no way, within less than two months after the constitution of the parliament and about 45 days of work of the government, which finds itself in a situation - to expect that all problems will be solved with a magic wand".
Angelov added that "Progressive Bulgaria" has been consistent in its policies since the election campaign. "We warned about this situation. Now we are exposing all the outrages and negligence of recent years that have led to the current situation. There are also specific examples. We showed a contract for mowing grass during the winter months worth 250 thousand leva. But this is not the only case. There are hundreds of such contracts, delayed payments, advance payments, various financial operations that were used to "get in" within the 3% deficit. Then someone else has to pay the bill," he stressed.
And he added: "Our policies are aimed at the national interest and the future development of the country. Increasing the maximum social security income will lead to higher pensions, higher benefits and maternity in the future. This has a positive effect on the economy in the long term. I am not worried about protests".
Angelov also explained what the biggest challenges facing the government are: "These are the "bombs planted" by previous governments. We took over the state in a situation that can be described as a minefield. Despite this, we are managing to stabilize the processes, save funds under the Recovery and Resilience Plan and accelerate legislative work. The opposition claimed that we were limiting the debate, but this is not true".