Bulgaria’s 2014 state budget not to be revised

Bulgaria's Parliament decided not to discuss an update of the 2014 state budget before the National Assembly is dissolved. MPs voted that the proposition of the Council of Ministers not be included into the agenda. President Rosen Plevneliev had repeatedly called to approve the amendments at the session to allow more freedom to the upcoming caretaker government. Monday's vote, backing a proposal to remove the update from the agenda, received a majority of 78 to 24, and only one MP abstained. Last week the bill was adopted at a first reading, but center-right GERB, the biggest group within the Parliament, withdrew its support. However, additional allocations to the budget of the National Health Insurance Fund (NZOK) were approved. The fund will receive another BGN 225m to be able to service its payments until the end of the year. Snap-elections would be held on 5 October, while the President is expected to announce the composition of the caretaker government today.