Constitution Day in Bulgaria: Parliamentary Governance Remains Without Alternative, Speaker of Parliament Says

On April 16, 1879, Bulgaria’s first Constitution was adopted in Tarnovo. It remains the most democratic constitution in our history, and since then, parliamentary governance has had no alternative. This was stated from the parliamentary rostrum by the Speaker of the Parliament, Natalya Kiselova.

Natalya Kiselova - Speaker of the Parliament:

"Since the time of the Tarnovo Constitution, parliamentary governance has remained without alternative. The modern parliamentary republic offers the broadest opportunities for citizen participation in governance, despite the crises that accompany democratic political development.

Let us not forget the aspiration of the Constitution’s framers—to be the voice of the Bulgarian people—without ever questioning our homeland’s and its citizens’ belonging to universal human values: freedom, peace, humanism, equality, justice, and tolerance.

Let us preserve our traditions and values, our historical memory, and our national identity—without sacrificing the desire of Bulgarian citizens to be part of a free and democratic European society.

Happy Constitution Day! Happy holiday to all Bulgarian lawyers!

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On 16th of April, Bulgaria marks the Day of the Bulgarian Constitution. On this date in 1879, the First Grand National Assembly adopted the first basic law of Bulgaria, known as the Turnovo Constitution. It was adopted by the National Assembly held in the city of Veliko Turnovo as part of the establishment of the Principality of Bulgaria after the country’s liberation from Ottoman rule in 1878.