Bulgaria - Revised budget adopted after union protest - December 31, 2025

The Government approved the re-drafted 2026 draft budget package at a special sitting on 8 December, dropping several contentious provisions that drew criticism from societal groups. Following large protests, the Cabinet formally asked Parliament’s consent to withdraw the package, which was granted on 3 December, and has moved swiftly to revise the draft budget, in the hope that the National Assembly can pass the bills at both readings before the end of the year. Unlike the first version of the package, which has been criticised by both trade unions and employer groups, the revised package has been endorsed by both trade unions and employer associations. An estimated 50,000 people took part in a rally on 1 December with organisers saying that another 50,000 joined demonstrations in other major cities.

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For more information, please contact Paul de Beer or Oana Ciuca, De Burcht (Scientific Bureau for the Dutch Trade Union Movement) p.t.debeer@uva.nl or the Head of communications at the ETUI, Mehmet Koksal mkoksal@etui.org. For previous full issues of the Collective bargaining newsletter please visit https://www.etui.org/Newsletters/Collective-bargaining-newsletter or consult the archive with all articles in our database at www.cbnarchive.eu. You may find further information on the ETUI at www.etui.org.