Konstantin Prodanov, chair of parliament's budget committee, said the Constitutional Court ruling on the 2026 budget was a clear win for financial stability. He spoke at a briefing in parliament today.
On Tuesday the court struck down parts of the budget law on how work experience is counted and on the pay of junior magistrates, which a new formula tied to MPs' pay. It rejected the request to declare the whole law unconstitutional. Prodanov said it also turned down the request to "freeze" the minimum wage.
Related: Constitutional Court strikes down part of 2026 budget law but does not cancel it
Temenuzhka Petkova of GERB-SDS accused the court of acting under political pressure, saying some of its judges were appointed by Rumen Radev. Prodanov replied that the ruling was unanimous, with 11 votes, and that those who voted included judges not appointed by Radev, who was president at the time.
Prodanov said the court had confirmed that the law complies with the constitution and that the fiscal framework is stable and valid. He called the opposition's requests to declare the whole budget unconstitutional irresponsible, and said the ruling was a complete failure of its attempt to sabotage fiscal policy.
He said the 5.7% deficit in the budget results from the policies of earlier governments, a heavy inheritance and a decision to bring the facts into the open: huge debts, hidden invoices and postponed spending. In his view, the truth about the state of public finances cannot be unconstitutional.
Prodanov said the court was right to turn down the request on the minimum wage, because a new mechanism has already been adopted that provides for a rise in 2027.
He also said the clause on work experience was struck down because it has no financial effect in 2026 and there is no point keeping it in the budget. Asen Vassilev proposed 1 January 2027 as its start date, while the Ministry of Labour and Social Policy put forward 1 September 2026.
Prodanov said the court's problem was with lasting changes made through the budget law and with tying magistrates' pay to MPs' pay. He said the step was proposed solely in the public interest and that reform of public sector pay began with a freeze on MPs' salaries. The logical next step, he said, is to review automatic pay rises and pay in other sectors, including the judiciary. The majority will abide by the ruling, he said, but the public is still left asking whether it is fair for pay there to rise automatically.
Stefan Belchev of Progressive Bulgaria, chair of the Committee on Economic Policy, Investment and Industry, said the opposition had tried today to give a lecture on the rule of law. He said that since 2014 the deadline under the Public Finance Act had been treated as an "annoying" formality, and that GERB had broken it at least five times. Those who were systematically late now use the law as a club, Belchev said, and that is political hypocrisy, not concern.
He added that the budget needs expert work, not pre-election drama played out for the public and cameras.
The Public Finance Act requires the draft budget to be submitted by 31 October.