The government is making a second clumsy attempt to introduce the state budget. These people still haven’t understood that it won’t work this way. They are trying once again to deceive us and cover our eyes by postponing two of the most scandalous measures to 2027 — the increase of pension contributions and the tax on dividends. But instead, they have created new scandals. This was stated in a position sent to the media by “We Continue the Change.”

“First, the money for young doctors and nurses is gone. The 260 million euros they promised five times — and finally included in the previous NHIF budget under pressure — have now disappeared again. There will be 30 million euros, possibly through the Ministry of Health, and only for medical residents. Not a single lev for nurses, not a single lev for everyone else working in the healthcare system.”

“They are trying once again to deceive absolutely everyone under pressure from — guess who — private hospitals. Not a single provision remains, not even the weak ones from the previous budget, regarding minimum wages for doctors and nurses. But at the same time, they report 260 million euros in ‘saved’ healthcare expenses.”

“There are also other ‘saved’ expenses — 741 million euros from the capital program. These are road, railway, and other infrastructure projects. Apparently, after we pressured them, they decided that exactly these piggy banks won’t be filled with the said 741 million euros,” "We Continue the Change-Democratic Bulgaria" (WCC-DB) writes.

“Meanwhile, salaries at the Supreme Judicial Council continue to rise — from 24,000 leva per month to 30,000 leva. No changes there. Salaries in the courts and prosecution — already among the highest in Europe — are increasing the most, by almost 14%, compared to 10% for the rest of the administration. Salaries at the CPC are reduced — the increase will be only 42%, not 52% as planned in the previous draft. The overall wage bill for the rest of the administration has not moved. The only thing they did was distribute it slightly more fairly, which is some progress, but the so-called ‘wage untying’ is not untying at all. They simply say: next year the law won’t apply, and after that — we’ll see.”

Instead of reducing administrative maintenance costs, they increased them, WCC-DB states.

“These are the funds for repairs, electricity, supplies, and operating costs for all administrative buildings. They have increased by 47 million leva — on top of the already 20% increase in the previous budget. Let the ministries spend as they wish. Or, in other words — we will spend 700 million leva more on toilet paper and repairs, but we won’t give 260 million leva for healthcare salaries. These are the priorities of this coalition, and that’s why it must go immediately.”

The changes on the revenue side are also scandalous, WCC-DB continues.

“Revenues have fallen because they won’t raise contributions and won’t introduce a dividend tax next year. The following year they will. But since they still can’t make enough savings, they magically invented an extra 300 million euros in revenues from carbon quota sales. When we open the detailed three-year forecast, the text is identical to the previous budget. So how these revenues suddenly appeared — perhaps only Temenuzhka Petkova can explain.”

In short — this budget belongs in the trash, and in many respects it is worse than the previous one, WCC-DB said and urged:

“Colleagues, it won’t work this way! Give up! It’s obvious you cannot run this country. Resign before Wednesday. Don’t make the public square sweep you away!”