Kristalina Georgieva Calls For Urgent Reforms

Bulgaria’s European Commissioner for Budget, Human Resources and Securit Kristalina Georgieva called for urgent and profound reforms in Bulgaria in an interview for the BNR public broadcaster.

According to her, the priorities were healthcare, pension system and administration.

“The long postponed reforms in healthcare, pension system and administration, must be carried out,” Georgieva said. “Investment climate must be also improved and electronic government be implemented.”

She told BNR that the EC may not start an excessive deficit procedure against Bulgaria, which is expected to reach 3.7% of the country's GDP this year, but said three deficit increases in one year were a serious problem, requiring serious measures.

In Georgieva's words, a decision on starting an excessive deficit procedure might be made next April, after an evaluation of the causes and the measures taken. “We, in the EC, are taking very seriously the combination of problems and efforts for its solving,” she said. “Only then we make recommendations.”