Deputy PM and finance minister Galab Donev is starting talks with trade unions and employers on the draft 2027 budget. He called the meetings himself, and they will cover the main figures in the state budget.

Donev will meet leaders of the CITUB and Podkrepa union confederations first, then the four main employers' groups. No dates have been given.

The unions want public sector pay to rise by at least 10% and the minimum wage to reach €690. They say that without such a rise, inflation will eat into incomes and people will be able to buy less with the same money.

Employers have doubts about the one-off "windfall profit" tax. They also oppose another rise in the maximum insurable income to €2,400, and higher minimum social security thresholds for jobs and professions. They are against a tax on meal vouchers too.

The cabinet has not yet said what budget deficit it will plan for.