The Chairperson of the National Assembly, Natalia Kiselova, commented on President Rumen Radev's statement regarding the rush towards the euro and the sell-off of the state, describing it as "rather political". In an interview with BTA, Kiselova emphasized that "nothing has been sold, it's about public discussion".
President Radev had earlier stated: "The rush towards the euro has emptied the treasury, and now the cabinet is looking for money and selling off the state. It's no coincidence that they pushed through changes to the State Property Act on the eve of the holidays".
In response to this statement, Kiselova explained that the government has made a request to submit a project proposing that properties slated for sale be included in a list approved by the National Assembly. She emphasized that this is part of the public discussion process and does not represent a direct sale of state assets.
The Council of Ministers has sent a letter to the chairperson of the parliament, proposing that the National Assembly approve a Program for exercising rights over state-owned properties and properties owned by state public enterprises. The aim of this proposal is to achieve political consensus for the effective exercise of property rights.
Regarding the upcoming budget, which will be Bulgaria's first in euros, Kiselova noted that this is "a serious test for any parliament". She expects the budget to be submitted in the fall and adopted before the start of the new fiscal year, in accordance with the Public Finance Act.
Main tasks for the parliament's autumn session
- Adoption of the budget
- Continuing efforts on the Recovery and Resilience Plan (RRP)
- Addressing issues that are the focus of citizens' daily lives
On the question of a potential danger of Bulgaria losing funds under the RRP, Kiselova expressed confidence that the efforts of Rosen Zhelyazkov's government "show that funds are not being lost, but rather saved under the RRP". She stated that all efforts will be directed towards saving and utilizing as many funds as possible in the interest of citizens.
These comments come in the context of ongoing debates about the country's economic policy and preparations for the introduction of the euro. The upcoming autumn session of parliament is shaping up to be key in determining Bulgaria's future financial and economic trajectory.