The lack of regular state budget for 2026 derails the modernization of the army

The project for new three-coordinate radars from France is on the verge of failure due to the absence of a regular budget for 2026. In a Facebook post, the chair of Parliament’s Defense Committee, Hristo Gadzhev, writes that if the contract is signed in 2026, Bulgaria will have missed the production deadlines, which would lead to the deal being delayed for years.

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“The delivery of new coastal missile systems is also falling through,” Gadzhev adds. The U.S. warning deadline for signing the contract expires in February 2026. “With an extended budget and a caretaker government, there is no way to conclude a contract, and it remains uncertain. Accordingly, we would have to request a new offer, which would already come at a higher price and with delays over time,” Gadzhev warns.

The EU SAFE projects for credit financing are also almost doomed, despite the Bulgarian plan being praised by the European Commission.

According to Hristo Gadzhev, the proposal to index salaries without increasing revenues can only be covered by cutting positions from the new military personnel planned for recruitment in 2026.

Fiscal Council criticizes indexation of incomes through the extended budget

The Ministry of Defense has so far not commented on the publication.

Edited by Ivo Ivanov
English version: R. Petkova