Finance Minister Temenuzhka Petkova firmly rejected claims that Bulgarians have been getting poorer or that incomes have declined since the start of the year, describing such statements as “absolutely false.”

The minister’s remarks came in response to criticism from the opposition, particularly “We Continue the Change,” as well as comments from President Rumen Radev, suggesting that living standards in Bulgaria have worsened in 2025.

At the request of Prime Minister Rosen Zhelyazkov, Petkova presented detailed budget data showing that spending on social payments this year is 4 billion leva higher than last year. Of this amount, 2.5 billion leva has been allocated for pension increases alone. She also reported that total salary expenses have risen by 18%, or 3.7 billion leva, compared to the previous year.

“In light of these figures, we can categorically state that any rumors about Bulgarian citizens becoming poorer or experiencing income declines are entirely untrue,” Petkova said at the beginning of the government meeting.

She further outlined increases across several key budget sectors. In the “Education” category, salaries and related payments rose by 907.2 million leva. In “Healthcare,” expenses grew by 98.3 million leva, marking an 8.3% rise. The “Defense” function saw an increase of 633.3 million leva, while in the “Internal Order and Security” sector, which includes the police, an additional 1.285 billion leva was spent on salaries and compensations.

According to the Finance Minister, these figures clearly demonstrate that the government continues to prioritize income growth and social support, despite ongoing political criticism.