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

Losing €8bn under RRP a huge mistake, former deputy prime minister for EU funds warns

Атанас Пеканов
Photo: Савина Спасова

Bulgaria has given up the fight for reforms and investments under the Recovery and Resilience Plan (RRP), former caretaker deputy prime minister for EU funds Atanas Pekanov told BNR. He said that Nikolai Denkov's government had made a serious mistake by failing to pass the necessary laws, when it had a parliamentary majority.

The former minister warned that if Bulgaria did not use the funds under the RRP, there would be long-term consequences because the country would miss out on important investments.

"They all believe that because the economy is improving, this money is not needed in Bulgaria, but this is a grave strategic mistake. Losing 8 billion euros by refusing to accept reforms that would be helpful would be a huge act of self-sabotage," Atanas Pekanov said. He added that Bulgaria does not stand well among EU countries because of political instability and the lack of a regular government.



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

Cool atmospheric front will pass through the country

On Wednesday, the minimum temperatures in Bulgaria will be from 11 to 16°C, in Sofia - 14°C . A cold atmospheric front will pass through the country, with cloudiness being more often significant. From the northwest to the southeast, it will rain in..

published on 9/16/25 7:35 PM

Bulgarian infrastructure to be modernized with the help of concessions

In addition to using EU funds, accelerating the development of key infrastructure projects can be achieved through concession mechanisms. This is a tool that the European Commission encourages. This was what Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of..

published on 9/16/25 6:33 PM

Sixth unit of Kozloduy NPP will also operate with US fuel

The sixth unit of the Kozloduy NPP will also start operating with American nuclear fuel next year. The first six Westinghouse cartridges will be placed in the reactor to determine their effect on electricity production. This became clear at a..

published on 9/16/25 6:18 PM