Finance Minister Plans Major State Spending Cuts and Ends Automatic Salary Hikes

Bulgaria’s Finance Ministry has formally launched the budget procedure for 2026, with Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Galab Donev outlining a broad package of austerity and restructuring measures that he said would put an end to what he described as years of “financial acrobatics” and uncontrolled spending. At a briefing at the Council of Ministers, Donev announced that the government of “Progressive Bulgaria” plans to eliminate automatic salary increases for senior state positions, including ministers, deputy ministers, members of parliament, regulatory officials, magistrates, university leadership, and law enforcement executives. Performance-based bonuses for elected officials are also expected to be removed. ...