Dimitar Manolov calls 2026 budget inertial, cites pay gaps

Podkrepa Confederation president Dimitar Manolov characterized Bulgaria’s 2026 budget as fundamentally flawed during a bTV Face to Face appearance, citing contradictory healthcare worker salary provisions that rely on clinical pathway funding increases without specifying labor cost allocations. The union leader described the spending plan as inertial, warning that its approach cannot yield positive long-term outcomes despite addressing some payment backlogs.

Manolov noted the two percentage point pension contribution increase modestly restores historical funding levels after the Social Security Fund lost one quarter of its revenue base and became heavily budget-dependent. He suggested incremental adjustments over five to ten years would have avoided immediate impact while achieving similar results, contrasting current reserves against 2000 levels when the fund maintained reserves equivalent to one full pension payment cycle.

Administrative salary disparities reaching fivefold differences for identical positions remain uncorrected despite threatened functional reviews of ministries and agencies, according to the labor leader, who acknowledged budget revisions necessary for union support would likely alienate employer groups.