Bulgaria's Parliament Overturns Presidential Veto on State Agency for National Security Act

Bulgarian MPs have voted to override President Rumen Radev’s veto on amendments to the Law on the State Agency for National Security (SANS). The changes transfer the power to appoint the agency’s chairperson from the president to the National Assembly, following a nomination by the Council of Ministers.

Under the revised law, the SANS chair will now have three deputies instead of two. The amendments were reapproved at second reading with 127 votes in favour, 92 against, and one abstention.

• President Vetoes the Amendements to the State Agency for National Security Act

Earlier this month, President Radev vetoed the changes, on the grounds that they removed safeguards and that appointments would not be politicised.

GERB leader Boyko Borissov defended the changes:

“Next year, when the President is from another political formation, will we change the law again? No — we won’t. This is how it should be in a parliamentary republic.”

Bozhidar Bozhanov from We Continue the Change – Democratic Bulgaria (WCC–DB) criticised the move:

“We don’t support this amendment — it’s clearly designed to install someone’s preferred candidate, whether it’s Denyo Denev or Anton Slavchev. The argument that we need a permanent head to look more credible before our partners is absurd — imagine how credible we’ll look to the United States if we appoint someone sanctioned under the Magnitsky Act.”

Kostadin Kostadinov, leader of Vazrazhdane, called the law “tailor-made”:

“This is yet another law drafted for one person — Denyo Denev, who is Peevski’s man and will follow his orders. Of course, we’re voting against it and have already referred the matter to the Constitutional Court.”

Nikolay Radulov from MECH (Morality, Unity, Honour) also raised concerns:

“We’re closing everything within Parliament. The absurdity is that a political body — the National Assembly — will now propose and elect the SANS chair, turning the post into a political one. We might as well establish political cabinets and be done with it.”

The parliamentary vote cements the legislative change despite the President’s objections, marking another clash between Bulgaria’s executive and the Head of State over the distribution of powers within key security institutions.