Asen Vassilev

The Ministry of Finance is preparing a draft budget in which the indicators fully meet the Maastricht criteria, that is, for entry into the Eurozone. For now, Bulgaria plans to do this in 2025.

In the regular budget for this year, there will be a serious increase in funds for the municipalities by nearly 25 percent. Prime Minister Nikolay Denkov assured this during the forum of the National Association of Municipalities in Pamporovo.
According to him, the draft budget must be adopted by the parliament by the end of July and enter into force on August 1.

After July 1, pensions will increase by 12%, Minister of Labor and Social Affairs Ivanka Shalapatova told bTV.

She stated that Finance Minister Asen Vassilev confirmed that there is money in the budget for the increase in pensions under the so-called swiss rule

This means that pensions from 467 leva will increase to 523 leva.

With 207 votes "for", none against and no abstentions, the National Assembly adopted the additional budget extension with the proposed editorial proposals.

With 132 votes, Nikolay Denkov was elected Prime Minister. 201 Bulgarian deputies voted. There were 69 against, no abstentions.

Asen Vassilev, the nominee for Minister of Finance in the Denkov-Gabriel cabinet, said that if the government is voted in today, work on Budget 2023 will begin tomorrow.

"We will withdraw the current version of the budget and I hope that within 10 days - 2 weeks we will have a version of the budget with a 3% deficit," he said.

The candidate for Prime Minister of "We Continue the Change-Democratic Bulgaria" (WCC-DB) Acad. Nikolay Denkov returned to President Rumen Radev the completed second exploratory mandate to form a government.

"Even before the elections, I said that the only good thing is an expert, broad government, but if it doesn't happen - then one between the first two parties. I think that Denkov and Gabriel are very close to making a decision. But until they agree, we haven't agreed on anything". This was stated by GERB leader Boyko Borissov on the sidelines of the parliament.

WCC-DB renewed negotiations with GERB-SDS in the National Assembly, led by the nominees for prime ministers from both coalitions, Nikolay Denkov and Mariya Gabriel, and in the presence of the leaders of the political formations.

The negotiations between WCC-DB and GERB-SDS resume today. This was confirmed by Nikolay Denkov, nominated for the second term as prime minister.