I saw a folder of nearly 100 pages with information about public enterprises, the composition of their boards and the salaries they receive. In some places, they even exceed the salaries of the prime minister and the president, taken together. This was stated by the chairman of the parliamentary group of "Progressive Bulgaria", a member of the party's leadership and chairman of the parliamentary group on foreign policy, Petar Vitanov, in the program "Metronome" on Radio FOCUS with host Tsonya Sabcheva.
"The first step is to bring these practices to light, after which, through legislative and regulatory changes, an end will be put to such spending of public funds. The state treasury is not a cash cow and will never be again", Vitanov is categorical.
Budget for 2026
"Our first task was to show the real picture and for the first time to submit an honest budget in which all hidden costs are brought to light. The accumulated commitments are clearly visible in the budget - both to the municipalities and to infrastructure projects. This shows the real situation that we must take into account," he said.
According to him, reforms have already begun, but their financial effect will be felt next year.
"The elimination of the automatisms that led to the spiraling increase in expenses is beginning. Even with a serious reduction in the administration, the budgetary effect cannot be manifested immediately, since the law provides for compensation. The majority of the reforms will yield results next year, when stricter financial discipline will be felt and more efficient administrative structures will be built after the completion of the functional analyses," he explained.
According to him, the parliament is working significantly more efficiently, and the atmosphere in the plenary hall has changed.
"The parliament is now working at a completely different pace - more efficiently, with higher quality and in a far more constructive tone. There are real debates on the bills, and as a result, we adopted laws that are directly related to the funds that Bulgaria receives from the European Commission. It is thanks to this that the country received the fourth payment under the Recovery and Resilience Plan in the amount of 1.1 billion euros," said Vitanov.
He emphasized that along with the calming of the political situation, greater stability is also observed, which, in his words, must be preserved.
According to him, "Progressive Bulgaria" has made mistakes in its communication.
"In the beginning, which is normal for any young party, we made mistakes - both in communication and political slips, which gave rise to different interpretations. They did not reflect our real intentions, but there were indeed mistakes", Vitanov admitted.
He emphasized that the state must ensure predictability for business, while not neglecting social policy.
"It is necessary to have payment and predictability for business. Bulgaria has competitive advantages, including tax legislation, but we must also ensure greater stability of the regulatory environment in order to restore the country's investment attractiveness. At the same time, we should not neglect social measures, because in our country there is a large group of working poor - a phenomenon that is almost absent in other European Union countries. The focus must remain on people and their dignified lifestyle", he emphasized.