What we see does not surprise me, but it disappoints me very much. My criticisms are from the right, as usual. This is the budget of the largest spending in history both in terms of billions of leva and as a percentage of GDP. He said this in the program "Bulgaria, Europe and the World in Focus" on Radio "Focus" former Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economy Nikolay Vassilev.
"I didn't understand that the government had changed, that there were other ministers, because this looks like the policy of the last 4 years to me. That is, we, together with the people who are in power today, criticized the budget policy of the last 4 years, and now they continue to do exactly the same, which is disappointing", he commented.
In his words, this budget is outlined with expenses of 44%, which has never been the case.
"The deficit, in my opinion, is in the heads of those in power, and not in budgetary needs. If reformers were in power, the budget would be in surplus, they would find a way to do it. If people who first want to give away without asking are in power, they reach minus 3% and brag about it. I refuse to accept that a result of minus 3% is some kind of victory and something positive. For me, this is a failure in a year in which there are no objective difficulties," Vassilev compared and added that the budget should have had a radically different philosophy.
Vassilev also asked why there are no cuts in the state administration. "The number of administration is 3 more. Why? Give us 10 more ministries to make. That is, the first is a cut in the administration and in the entire public sector. Here we are talking about billions and we are talking about something that is positive, will be perceived positively by the Bulgarian public. It is not true that it is an unpopular measure. This is a very popular measure. And these people, we are not talking about unemployment in some remote areas, but about graduates in the center of Sofia, who will find better-paid jobs in the private sector immediately. This is the first major measure. The second is concessions", outlined the former deputy prime minister.
Despite everything, Vassilev believes that the budget presented in this way can still be implemented.