President Calls Consultations on Budget Overhaul

Bulgarian President Rosen Plevneliev believes lawmakers' approval of the budget amendments should be a matter of utmost priority. Photo by BGNES

Bulgaria's President Rosen Plevneliev is due to meet leaders of parties in Parliament on Friday to discuss the update of the state budget for 2014.

Consultations at the Bulgarian Presidency follow opposition GERB's decision to backtrack on their previous support for amendments to the fiscal plan, despite having voted to approve the motion on Tuesday.

In mid-June the Council of Ministers proposed changes to the state budget which included an increase in the public debt and current account deficit, but also boosted expenditures at the National Health Insurance Fund (NZOK).

Lawmakers from the ruling Bulgarian Socialist Parties (BSP) rejected the move, but it counted on the support of center-right GERB and liberal DPS (and was initially approved) until the opposition vowed not to back it on the final vote on August 4.

Plevneliev has urged the National Assembly to pass the amendments before dissolving on August 6 to secure more freedom for the caretaker government during its upcoming two-month tenure.

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