Bulgarian Opposition Party DSB Rejects 2026 Budget Over Russian Influence Concerns

Bulgaria’s Democrats for a Strong Bulgaria (DSB) has announced it will not support the proposed state budget for 2026, citing concerns over undemocratic governance and growing Russian influence in the country.

At a meeting held on November 8, 2025, the DSB Executive Council took a categorical position against the budget proposal, accusing the ruling coalition of establishing a governance model that threatens Bulgaria’s national consensus and shared values.

Key Concerns

The party has raised several critical issues:

Budget Concerns: DSB leader Atanas Atanasov stated that the financial framework is based on unrealistic revenues of around BGN 4-5 billion, while spending increases in areas prone to corruption. “Hubs for theft are being created, not for development. We will not support this budget, not because we are the opposition, but because it is harmful,” Atanasov said.

The party expressed deep concern that the budget could put Bulgaria at risk when entering the eurozone, potentially triggering an excessive deficit procedure in the first year after accession.

Lukoil Legislation: DSB has strongly criticized what it calls “belated and undemocratic changes in the legislation on Lukoil.” The party believes these changes undermine Bulgaria’s commitment to sanctions against the Russian Federation and pose risks to national security.

The controversy centers on recent legislative amendments concerning Lukoil Bulgaria and discussions about the potential acquisition of the Lukoil Neftochim refinery by the state-owned Bulgarian Energy Holding.

Russian Influence: Atanasov argued that there is “tolerance, even quiet cooperation from the Bulgarian services toward the Russian presence” in Bulgaria. As an example, he pointed to a property near the Iskar Dam used by the Russian Embassy without proper documentation and in violation of sanitary zones.

Escalation to NATO

In response to these concerns, DSB has announced it will refer the matter to NATO institutions. The party plans to notify the NATO Deputy Secretary General responsible for intelligence and security, as well as the Director of the NATO Security Authority, regarding the growing Russian influence in Bulgaria.

Political Context

Democrats for a Strong Bulgaria is part of the Democratic Bulgaria coalition, a right-wing political alliance. The party, currently led by Atanas Atanasov, has consistently positioned itself as pro-European and strongly opposed to Russian influence in Bulgarian politics.

The DSB’s position reflects broader tensions within Bulgarian politics regarding energy security, national sovereignty, and the country’s Euro-Atlantic orientation as US sanctions against Russian oil companies, including Lukoil, are set to come into force on November 21.

Sources: Fakti.bg, Bulgarian Telegraph Agency