Bulgaria's Constitutional Court has rejected a request to declare the 2026 budget unconstitutional, but it struck down changes that froze the minimum wage and altered how work experience is counted, the court's press office said.
The court also scrapped a new pay formula for junior magistrates, under which their pay depended on the salaries of members of parliament.
All three changes were added to the transitional and final provisions of the 2026 State Budget Act. They affect Article 355, paragraphs 1 to 4, of the Labour Code and Article 218, paragraph 2, of the Judiciary Act.
The case began after a request from MPs of the 52nd National Assembly and from the ombudsman. The court heard Constitutional Case No. 15 together with cases No. 17 and No. 18. Eleven constitutional judges took part in the hearing. The court also turned down the request about Section 46 of the transitional provisions of the budget law.
The court said the change to the Labour Code is not directly linked to revenue and spending in the 2026 budget.
It said the change to the Judiciary Act was made by law and has a general aim. But it was due to take effect on 31 July 2026 and permanently alters the long-standing legal rules for setting the pay of judges, prosecutors and investigators. For that reason, the court said, it goes beyond the link to the budget law that the Constitution allows.
The same change also breaks Article 133 of the Constitution, which requires a stable status for judges, prosecutors and investigators.
Judges Atanas Semov, Yanaki Stoilov, Sasho Penov and Nevin Feti signed a dissenting opinion on the Labour Code part, while judge Orlin Kolev wrote a separate opinion. On the Judiciary Act part, judge Orlin Kolev filed a dissenting opinion. Judges Atanas Semov, Yanaki Stoilov, Sasho Penov, Nevin Feti and Galina Toneva gave separate opinions.