Sofia City Council approves 2025 budget halfway through the year

The Sofia Municipal Council has approved the city's budget for 2025 with 41 votes in favour, four against and ten abstentions. The document's economic framework provides for a retroactive increase in public transport salaries of 300 leva (€153) with effect from 1 April. This removes the grounds for protest by workers in the sector.

Sofia Mayor Vasil Terziev returned his own budget report, adopted at the end of May, for review due to its illegality and inappropriateness. He justified this by stating that municipal councillors had voted for an unbalanced budget, with revenues exceeding expenditures by over 3.5 million leva (1.79 million euros), as reported by Evelina Stoyanova.

Before noon today, public transport unions protested in front of the Sofia Municipality building to remind officials that they are still waiting for the promised salary increase.