Parliament adopted, in two readings during a single session, amendments

Parliament adopted, in two readings during a single session, amendments to this year’s State Budget Act in response to the water crisis in the municipality of Pleven. A total of 180 MPs voted in favor, none voted against, and 10 abstained. The changes were added to the parliamentary agenda as an extraordinary item.

 The amendments modify the list of priority projects for Pleven Municipality in Annex No. 3 to Article 113 of the State Budget Act. The aim is to take urgent measures to address the water crisis and the declared state of emergency in the region. The changes include adding seven new projects worth a total of BGN 10.3 million and removing two projects with the same total value scheduled for 2025. They will enter into force upon publication in the State Gazette.

Additionally, technical changes are being made to project budgets in six municipalities — Tervel, Letnitsa, Breznik, Silistra, Kotel, and Dospat. These adjustments remain within the allocated funding limits and are necessary due to technical issues encountered while processing documentation for more than 3,000 projects during the preparation and implementation of the 2025 budget.

The law also clarifies that changes to Annex 3 may be made by a Council of Ministers decision, following proposals by municipal mayors, under the new paragraph 18. According to this provision, when priority funding is needed for drinking water supply projects, the Council of Ministers may approve reallocated changes based on a proposal by the Minister of Finance, coordinated with the Minister of Regional Development and Public Works.

The explanatory memorandum notes that the project will not increase the state budget, as the funds are already allocated in the 2025 central budget within the maximum limit for capital expenditures.

Chair of the Budget Committee Delyan Dobrev (GERB–SDS) clarified that an additional BGN 10 million is not being allocated — instead, funds are being redirected from other projects to water supply initiatives. Pleven is withdrawing from certain projects in order to channel more funds toward resolving the water crisis.

The main debate centered on where the funds would come from and whether the move could create conditions for corruption, as well as whether there would be direct contracting or transparent public tenders, BTA reported.

Bogdan Bogdanov from We Continue the Change – Democratic Bulgaria (PP–DB) stated that the amendments mark the beginning of resolving the water scarcity problem, granting the municipality the right to privatize water infrastructure projects and plan for repairs of the city’s internal water supply network. He also asked where the additional BGN 80 million required next year would come from. “In the past two years, we have seen neglect of this problem. In our view, funds have been redirected to inefficient projects with a high corruption risk, such as the Pleven sports hall, ” Bogdanov said. “Today’s question is whether additional financial resources will be allocated for the city. Solving the problem must begin with repairing Pleven’s water supply network, ” he emphasized.

His colleague Martin Dimitrov pointed out that during GERB’s governance, only one dam was repaired. “We wanted a register where all contracts and payments would be published. You rejected this proposal. Now, with delay, you are disclosing what is happening, so we are asking how the money will be spent, ” he said. “We fear that the BGN 10 million now allocated to Pleven and the additional BGN 80 million planned for next year will simply disappear, ” he warned.

Delyan Dobrev responded: “Your mayors are in prison, your mayors steal, there are recordings of one demanding 20%, another 6%. And yet you tear your shirts here accusing us of theft — but it is your people who are stealing, not ours. ” He also claimed that a minister had complained that one of their party leaders instructed which companies should win a BGN 600 million contract. “No one is preventing the mayor of Pleven from selecting a contractor under the Public Procurement Act. He can do that even while we are debating changes to the budget, ” Dobrev added.

Chair of the Regional Development Committee Mladen Shishkov (GERB–SDS) said it was untrue that only one dam was repaired under GERB’s government. “The dams handed over for repairs were not intended for drinking water supply, ” he stressed. “To date, more than 120 dams have been repaired, according to official data, ” he added.

Valeri Lachovski (GERB–SDS) emphasized that the most important thing now is to ensure that residents of Pleven will not face water restrictions next year. “I am confident that this government will achieve that, ” he added.

Violeta Komitova from MECH stated that the 2025 budget is a “budget of asphalt, ” despite repeated warnings that the water crisis is deepening. According to her, the government has now admitted that funds for road construction should be redirected to water infrastructure projects, but this remains a crisis measure. “With the BGN 10 million allocated now, nothing substantial can be done in Pleven before the New Year — except perhaps some illegal construction, ” said the former caretaker regional minister in Stefan Yanev’s two cabinets.

Krasimira Katincharova announced that Velichie would support the amendments even though they know “this money will be stolen. ” Those proposing the redirection of funds to urgent repairs, she said, are the ones responsible for the crisis in Pleven — and for many other crises.