Podcast in English
Text size
Bulgarian National Radio © 2025 All Rights Reserved

Doling out money gives rise to corruption: Ex-PM Ivan Kostov

Ivan Kostov
Photo: Ani Petrova

“Doling out money gratuitously to people in need is impossible because the resources are limited. The government would come out of the crisis with a huge deficit,” Ivan Kostov, Prime Minister of Bulgaria in the 1997-2001 period said for the Bulgarian National Radio.

“According to the EU, the country’s GDP is going to go down by 7.2%. That means EUR 4.2 billion. There is no way the government can find the billions needed to compensate for all incomes. Calls for such a thing are populist. Even if it does find the money from somewhere, it couldn’t be absorbed and will only give rise to corruption,” Ivan Kostov said. He added that Bulgaria is not the only country where measures to address the damages are taken under pressure and urged for taxes not to be changed  mid-year.  



Последвайте ни и в Google News Showcase, за да научите най-важното от деня!
Listen to the daily news from Bulgaria presented in "Bulgaria Today" podcast, available in Spotify.

More from category

Young doctors call for minimum wage of no less than 150% of the average salary

Doctors without a speciality and nurses should receive a minimum wage of 150% of the average salary in the country. This was proposed at a round table in the National Assembly by protesting doctors from the “Future in Bulgaria”..

published on 7/3/25 8:57 AM

The Omani Minister of Foreign Affairs is visiting Bulgaria

The Sultanate of Oman's Minister of Foreign Affairs, Sayyid Badr bin Hamad Al Busaidi, will visit Bulgaria from 2 to 4 July 2025 at the invitation of his Bulgarian counterpart, Georg Georgiev, the Bulgarian Foreign Ministry announced on Wednesday...

published on 7/3/25 8:45 AM

MPs to discuss a third no-confidence vote in the Zhelyazkov cabinet

The National Assembly will debate the third motion of no confidence in Rosen Zhelyazkov's government today. The vote will take place no earlier than 24 hours after the end of the debates.  Proposed on 27 June by the Vazrazhdane party, the motion of..

published on 7/3/25 7:15 AM