Bulgarian MPs OK Party Subsidy Cut by BGN 1

Bulgarian MPs approved a reduction of the annual amount of the state subsidy for political parties to BGN 11 per vote in 2014.

The reduction by BGN 1, or 8.33%, was approved Monday during the second reading of amendments to the State Budget Act, according to reports of dnevnik.bg.

The proposal, which was submitted last week by Yordan Tsonev, Chair of the parliamentary budget committee and MP from the liberal Movement for Rights and Freedoms (DPS) party, was backed by 104 MPs, 4 voted against, and 38 abstained.

The subsidy cut is expected to result in savings of around BGN 4 M, which will be redirected to other costs.

The proposal for a subsidy cut by up to 10% was agreed at a seminar of the ruling coalition of the Bulgarian Socialist Party and DPS in the mountain resort of Borovets on November 29-20.

After the parliamentary elections on May 12, a total of 10 parties passed the 1% threshold and qualified for state subsidies – center-right party GERB (Citizens for European Development of Bulgaria), BSP, DPS, nationalist party Ataka and the extra-parliamentary nationalist parties National Front for the Salvation of Bulgaria and VMRO, the Bulgaria for Citizens Movement of former EU Commissioner Meglena Kuneva, liberal party LIDER, marginal conservative party Order, Law and Justice (RZS) of Yane Yanev and the People's Voice of party of rock musician Svetoslav Vitkov.

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