No country has lost EU funds for breaking fiscal discipline rules, deputy prime minister Atanas Pekanov said in an interview on the TV show "120 Minutes". He said money was frozen for some countries, but over the rule of law or flawed anti-corruption reforms.

The finance ministry published the draft 2027 state budget on Friday. Earlier, prime minister Rumen Radev and deputy prime minister and finance minister Galab Donev set out the main parameters of next year's financial framework at the University of National and World Economy.

More on this story: Prime minister Radev presents 2027 budget draft to packed hall at UNWE

Pekanov said the key point of the budget is that indexation for defence and security stops. He pointed to spending between 2023 and 2025: the interior ministry's budget rose by 76%, or €863m, and defence by €500m, or 62%. That growth now stops, he said.

Pekanov believes public finances are under strain, and said this is a fact, not a lie. The opposition criticises the budget and accuses the government of including no reforms.

"Yes, Bulgaria" accused Donev of hiding an idea to send part of the contributions to the second pension pillar to the National Social Security Institute. Pekanov replied that not every measure discussed at some level deserves so much publicity. In his words, the real measures are those in the final published documents.

The deputy prime minister said he feels sorry for his colleagues. He does not understand why Mirchev followed a script that, he said, was written by Vladislav Goranov.

Pekanov suspects the whole row was started on purpose, to stir up public opinion even more.