In an unprecedented move, the Bulgarian government approved the 2026 state budget draft at its meeting today without the agreement of employers’ organisations. Tsvetan Simeonov, President of the Bulgarian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, said that submitting the budget without the endorsement of the National Council for Tripartite Cooperation could have a negative impact within the EU.

• Businesses boycott discussion of budget 2026, describe it as “leftist”

'Put simply, if you ask me whether the budget is good, my answer is no.' But the real question is whether another budget is possible. Given the current geopolitical and national political situation, I’m certain that no alternative budget could be achieved,” commented Prime Minister Rosen Zhelyazkov.

• Bulgaria's government approves 2026 draft budget

One of the country's two largest trade unions, the Confederation of Independent Trade Unions in Bulgaria (CITUB), described the draft as feasible and based on compromise. They noted that the higher pension contribution rate would be shared between employers and employees. However, CITUB President Plamen Dimitrov criticised the fact that some sectors, including the Ministry of Labour and Social Policy, the National Revenue Agency (NRA) and the National Social Security Institute (NSSI), would receive only a 5% increase, calling this 'scandalous'.

He added that the cost of living could rise by as much as 10% by the end of 2026.