The GERB-SDS parliamentary group will inform Eurostat, the European Commission, the European Court of Auditors, the International Organization of Supreme Audit Institutions, the Fiscal Council, the BNB, and the National Statistical Institute about attempts to exert political pressure and manipulate the National Audit Office. According to GERB-SDS MP Temenuzhka Petkova, these actions threaten the country's financial stability and create a risk of reputational damage. "This scandal will not be suppressed," she stated.
At the center of the dispute is the extraordinary audit of the Road Infrastructure Agency (RIA) for the period from January 1, 2020, to May 30, 2026. The audit was commissioned by Parliament in early July, with a deadline of September 30 this year. Although GERB-SDS supported the decision for the audit, as there were no objections to the scope of the period, Petkova reveals deeper concerns. According to her, "instead of defining the scope of the audit, the governing majority in the National Assembly is explicitly instructing auditors on what findings and conclusions they must reach," which she defines as a gross violation of the principles of independence and objectivity. The MP added: "Even during the discussion of the draft resolution and its motives, the purpose of the audit became clear—the governing majority is seeking justifications for the scandalous 2026 budget, which features a record deficit of 5.7% of the country's gross domestic product."
During the audit process, data has emerged regarding systemic and unlawful interference by the executive branch in the activities of the RIA. According to Petkova, this information is also confirmed by details provided by Prime Minister Rumen Radev during parliamentary oversight on September 4. The MP revealed details regarding potential manipulation of budget funds: "On September 8, we publicly announced that we possess data showing that, following verbal instructions from the Ministry of Finance, RIA officials are preparing documents based on which current expenditures for 2026 are being transferred to the concluded 2025 budget, in order to reduce the 5.7% deficit for 2026, or conversely, to increase the deficit for the past 2025 fiscal year." According to her, this directly contradicts the officially reported and validated data from the NSI, the Ministry of Finance, and Eurostat, representing an attempt to deliberately mislead the National Audit Office in order to legitimize manipulated figures through the future audit report.
One of the key contradictions concerns the claims made by Regional Minister Ivan Shishkov, who told MPs that he had received a report from the National Audit Office regarding the results of the RIA audit. However, GERB-SDS has requested an official document from both the National Audit Office and the Ministry of Regional Development to verify the information. "On September 10, 2026, the truth came to light. In response to our request, we received a letter from the National Audit Office stating that no such final audit report exists," Petkova noted, clarifying that this position was made public a day later. She emphasized that "it is becoming clear that there is no draft audit report delivered to either the Chairman of the Agency's Board of Directors or the Minister of Regional Development and Construction," as the audit is still in the execution stage and must undergo the quality control procedures set forth in the National Audit Office Act.
Changes in the state budget and financial stability affect the economic environment and the distribution of funds throughout the country, including the Burgas region.
In conclusion, the Member of Parliament raised serious questions for Minister Shishkov: who provided him with the non-existent document and who told him "that the sum of 1 billion and 20 million leva pertains to 2025 and not 2026," given that the National Audit Office officially confirms there is neither a draft nor a final report for the RIA. "What we are witnessing, colleagues, is a dangerous precedent," Petkova concluded.