Yes, Bulgaria co-chair Ivaylo Mirchev has called for the resignation of deputy prime minister and finance minister Galab Donev over a letter to the European Commission about payments into the second pension pillar. Mirchev, an MP from Democratic Bulgaria, showed the letter, which he says Donev sent to the Commission on 2 November.
Bozhidar Bozhanov of Democratic Bulgaria was the first to speak about the letter. On Friday evening he read it out on BNT's "Panorama", where he and Donev argued over whether the cabinet wanted to redirect the money. Bozhanov says the letter, which covers 2027–2029, proposes that part of the pension contribution go temporarily to the first pillar.
Where it began: Bozhanov shows Donev's letter to European Commission on pension money from second pillar
Mirchev says the letter shows Donev telling the Commission plainly that he wants part of the second-pillar contributions to go to the National Social Security Institute (NOI). He says this is nearly €1bn a year.
Mirchev accused the finance minister of lying to people and hiding from them what will happen to their pensions. He said Donev asked Europe to "zero" it.
Mirchev said it was time for Donev to write a third letter, this time to prime minister Rumen Radev. It should carry today's date and contain one sentence: that he is resigning as finance minister.
Yesterday Donev responded to Bozhanov's claims and denied that the cabinet had proposed to the Commission that part of the second-pillar contributions go through the NOI. He says the letter is about comments with the European Commission.
The minister says these comments give no grounds to claim that the government is seeking money from the contributions to plug a hole in public finances.