Bulgaria’s Parliament elected its Speaker

Rossen Zhelyazkov of GERB-UDF, the largest political group in the 49th Bulgarian Parliament, was elected Parliament Speaker on April 19. The vote was 136 MPs in favour, none against, 94 abstained.

The MPs also elected Deputy Speakers - one from each parliamentary group - Rositsa Kirova (GERB-UDF), Nikola Minchev (CC-DB), Tsoncho Ganev ("Vazrazhdane"), Filiz Hyusmenova (MRF), Kristian Vigenin (BSP) and Andrei Chorbanov (TISP).

"The parliamentary tradition at such moments requires words of a solemn nature to be said. However, I think that this is not the moment for pathos and celebration. We are all aware of the responsibility we have and it is the public's expectation of security, justice and stability. These require from us to lead the processes in a direction that is consistent with the motto of this building, that we create content with expressive means consistent with the honour and dignity of this institution. I would like to thank each and every one of you - as my colleagues, especially Speakers Minchev and Rashidov - for leading the 47th and 48th National Assemblies with dignity and wisdom," Zhelyazkov said immediately after being elected Speaker.

Before accepting Rosen Zhelyazkov's nomination, the MPs rejected the nomination of "Vazrazhdane" - of lawyer Petar Petrov.

Zhelyazkov was elected as Speaker a day after the largest parliamentary group GERB-UDF and the second largest group “We Continue the Change-Democratic Bulgaria” announced that they had reached an agreement by which the posts of Speaker and chairperson of the Legal Affairs Committee would be rotated between them.

According to the "gentleman's agreement" between the two coalitions, WCC-DB will support the nomination of GERB-UDF- Rosen Zhelyazkov, and if the parliament works more than three months, there will be a rotation.

"We are aware that this commitment of ours is an expression of goodwill between the two political groups and that it cannot be fixed by an act of the National Assembly and we count on it to be respected in the future by both sides," said Desislava Atanasova of GERB-UDF.

The Bulgarian Socialist Party (BSP) will not support the candidacy of Rosen Zhelyazkov for reasons of principle, the leader of the BSP, Kornelia Ninova, announced from the parliamentary rostrum. According to her, the agreement for a rotating presidency is unconstitutional.

Assen Vassilev, the co-chairman of "We Continue the Change", defined the formula for the rotation of the parliamentary presidency with a clear legislative programme as the only working one. He described the adoption of the 2023 budget as a priority, but explained that it could not be included in the legislative programme because it could not be submitted by the parliamentary groups.

"There is Such a People" will support the candidacy of Rosen Zhelyazkov, because parliamentary ethics requires it, but will not support a rotating prnciple, announced Toshko Yordanov. According to him, the rotational principle is unconstitutional.

MRF also called into question the constitutionality of the rotational principle and announced that they were in opposition.

"We agree with the rule that the largest group should nominate the Speaker of Parliament until a majority is formed to sort out the structure of government. We are now seeing that a majority is being formed in the National Assembly and therefore there is a majority and opposition. And with the majority that has been formed, we in the MRF, since we are not part of that majority, our very natural place is to be in opposition to that majority that has been formed. It is not written in the constitution, but it does not prevent us from writing in the rules of the National Assembly that we should have quarterly Speakers and a Parliament, although the constitution says otherwise. We can also put in three-day governments - it is a matter of the will of that majority, regardless of what the constitution says. So far, however, what we see can be defined by the teenage model: 'GERB + Change = Replacement', said MRF leader Mustafa Karadayi.

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