President Iotova: The cabinet will first take care of the most vulnerable

Measures to address the country’s deficit should include cutting vacant positions and freezing the budgets of institutions and agencies, said Bulgarian President Iliana Iotova in Plovdiv. Meanwhile, Deputy Prime Minister Galab Donev announced that the budget deficit stands at 7.4% and that the European Commission is expected to place Bulgaria under monitoring.

Finance Minister Galab Donev: A new debt is unavoidable

According to the head of state, it is clear that the deficit was not accumulated in recent months, raising the question of what its level was when the country was entering the eurozone.

"We will hear today the European Commission’s assessment of the reports from the spring semester. This is a recommendation from the Commission in order to take concrete measures. I trust the prime minister that they will first take care of the people who are most in need and the most vulnerable," said Iliana Iotova.

In her words, the government has no intention of cutting pensions or changing maternity policy. “The measures presented at this stage are only the first step. From there, a full assessment must be carried out to identify where the biggest gaps are,” she added, warning that some of the upcoming steps will be “quite drastic” and expressing hope that people will remain supportive and solidaristic.

Pensions in Bulgaria will increase by 7.8% from July

Edited by Diana Tsankova