Former Finance Minister Simeon Dyankov has warned that Bulgaria's budgetary situation remains strained, predicting that the deficit in 2025 will exceed the 3% threshold. In an interview with BNT, he stated that the current deficit is between 5% and 6%, and reducing it by half to meet the Maastricht criteria would be extremely difficult.

According to Dyankov, the main issue is that efforts to address the deficit are focused on increasing revenues rather than cutting expenditures. He also expressed concerns about the possibility of a tax amnesty, stating that he hopes such an idea will not be included in the budget, as he does not see a viable way to bring the deficit down to the targeted 3%.

The former finance minister emphasized that the government will inevitably require new debt, estimating that around 15 billion leva will be needed for the year. However, he warned that even this significant borrowing would only serve to cover the deficit rather than provide additional financial flexibility.

Dyankov also commented on the policy proposals of political parties, noting that "Democratic Bulgaria" has so far been the only one to put forward meaningful ideas regarding the financial situation.

Source: BNT