Excessive Deficit Procedure: Radev Criticizes Previous Administrations
An excessive deficit procedure against Bulgaria is set to be initiated, which, according to Prime Minister Rumen Radev, is a direct assessment of the work of previous governments. He emphasized that attempts to formally maintain a 3% deficit were accompanied by "budgetary gymnastics".
"Systematic decapitalization of state-owned enterprises, draining liquidity from businesses, and delaying VAT payments – these are some of the methods that led to the current situation," Radev pointed out.
The Hidden Deficit and the Discrepancy with Brussels
The Prime Minister explained that the difference in data between Sofia and Brussels stems from accumulated "hidden payments" that had been deferred to future years. According to the Prime Minister, the invoices for these expenses amount to over 2.2 billion euros.
- Main points of criticism:
- Collecting taxes in advance.
- Questionable public procurement contracts with inflated prices.
- Lack of transparency in public finances.
Radev expressed hope that the political parties in parliament will show maturity in order to stabilize the state's financial condition. During his visit to Montenegro, he also discussed the issue of the extradition of Stoyan Mavrodiev with Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic.