First sitting of Bulgaria’s newly-elected 47th Parliament

The first sitting of the 47th National Assembly was opened with a solemn ceremony on December 3.

According to the Constitution, the new Parliament's first session is opened by the oldest attending Member of Parliament, who is Dr. Sylvie Kirilov from "There is Such a People" party.

The MPs were sworn in.

The session was attended by 228 out of 240 MPs. This time there are seven political formations in the Parliament - "We Continue the Change", GERB-UDF, MRF, "BSP for Bulgaria", "There is Such a People", "Democratic Bulgaria" and "Vazrazhdane".

"I am glad to see so many young people. I believe in young people, they bring their energy, goals, ideals and expectations. I want to remind them of the words: Freedom is not to do what you want, but not to do what you don't want. The truth is first denied by everyone, then accepted by some people, and finally accepted by everyone because it is the truth. It is time to remember that the will and desire for change make things possible, but do not make them easy!" said Sylvie Kirilov.

In his first address to the 47th National Assembly, President Rumen Radev pointed out that hopes for a new parliament are high and the stakes are high.

The head of state called on the new MPs to think very carefully about the mission assigned to them by the Bulgarian citizens before the voting in the plenary hall begins.

Chairpersons of all parliamentary groups made statements.

It is time to put meaning into the words MP, it is our duty to serve the Bulgarian people, the leader of "We Continue the Change" Kiril Petkov said from the parliamentary rostrum.

"Due to the low voter turnout, the current parliament does not have enough legitimacy to afford new adventures and waste time creating scandals. It is now clear that whatever the majority in the 47th National Assembly, it will not be the result of strong public energy, and will be the result of compromises," said Desislava Atanasova of GERB.

The MRF will work to restore normalcy in politics. As in any parliament, there will be ruling and opposition, but constructive political dialogue must be at the heart of the search for the right solution. The resolving of of the political crisis must begin with the formation of a regular cabinet, MRF leader Mustafa Karadayi said.

"We are ready with a program of action in the first 100 days, which is financially calculated. We have an important task ahead of us - the adoption of the budget for 2022. We will make efforts to form a stable majority and a regular government." This was said from the parliamentary rostrum by the BSP leader Kornelia Ninova.

"Let us harness all our creative power and offer the society a real and tangible change related to high ethical criteria and standards, regardless of political affiliation," said Lubomir Karimanski of “There is Such a People”.

Bulgaria has reason to hope because of the changes that have taken place in recent months and the opportunities that open up before us, said from the parliamentary rostrum the co-chair of "Democratic Bulgaria" Hristo Ivanov. "We are in a difficult period, but rebuilding on new paths and models allows us to greatly shorten the path that separates us from developed societies," he said.

"Our people deserve new, determined and frank leaders and it is high time that Bulgarian politics is run by worthy men. Bulgaria does not need cowardly salesmen, but people who defend national interests," the leader of "Vazrazhdane" Kostadin Kostadinov said.

images by Dessislava Kulelieva, BNT