SOFIA, Dec. 8 (Xinhua) -- Bulgarian Vice President Iliana Iotova on Monday criticized the European Commission (EC)'s draft budget for the European Union for the 2028-2034 period, warning that its emphasis on defense and competitiveness comes at the expense of social and territorial cohesion.

"Military power and industrial competitiveness are of great importance, but they cannot compensate for social fragmentation and regional inequality," Iotova was cited by the press secretariat of the presidential institution.

"A union that today abandons its territorial and social foundations in the name of urgency is a union that chooses the path to instability," she said.

Iotova underscored that several European governments have criticized the EC's budget plan. The proposal to merge the Common Agricultural Policy funds and the cohesion funds has been subject to the strongest criticism, as it would have a negative impact on regional development in Europe.

The vice president also drew attention to the proposal to link the receipt of EU funds to compliance with the rule of law.

"The approach treats the rule of law not as a fundamental normative ideal, but as a one-dimensional criterion tied to the EU's budgetary problems," she added. Enditem