Ganev says debt mountain buries Bulgaria

Tsoncho Ganev of the Vazrazhdane party, who serves as a Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly, has criticized the government for maintaining a bloated administration while key sectors offer insultingly low salaries. He argued during a television appearance that blanket wage increases are ineffective, insisting that a distinction must be made between overstaffed and understaffed departments. Ganev identified the office of Deputy Prime Minister Atanas Zafirov as a completely bloated structure that should be closed.

He stated that critical areas like the National Social Security Institute and social work suffer from severe staff shortages directly due to low pay. Regarding the Ministry of Interior, Ganev rejected claims it is overstaffed, explaining that it includes essential services like firefighters and border police who should not be laid off. He called for targeted reforms instead of mechanical cuts.

Ganev also expressed strong opposition to Bulgaria adopting the euro under current conditions, citing a sharp increase in social security contributions and a record level of new state debt, which he said is used for current expenses rather than investments. He warned that the government’s actions regarding the Lukoil refinery could lead to billions in reparations for seizing private property and potential retaliatory nationalization of Bulgarian assets in Russia. His party is demanding early elections, blaming the current government for burying the people with unsustainable debt.