Bulgaria’s Parliament has held its final sitting before the election campaign begins, with MPs offering an assessment of the work carried out by the 51st National Assembly just hours ahead of the official start of campaigning.
The first sitting of the current Parliament took place on 11 November 2024. Although recent constitutional changes allow the National Assembly to remain in session until elections are held, parliamentary rules stipulate that MPs do not convene during the campaign period unless an extraordinary session is called.
The parties' equation:
GERB highlighted its main achievement as progress towards joining the eurozone, despite what it described as the risks and challenges involved. The We Continue the Change–Democratic Bulgaria alliance also claimed credit for advancing eurozone accession, but acknowledged what it called a breakdown of the “sanitary cordon” intended to safeguard institutions from corruption.
The Vazrazhdane party argued that valuable historical time had been lost.
Meanwhile, the Movement for Rights and Freedoms (MRF) warned that the Ministry of Interior could be used for political repression, stating that it had filed a report with the Sofia City Prosecutor’s Office.
The Bulgarian Socialist Party (BSP) said the crisis had merely subsided but had not gone away.
“There Is Such a People” signalled its intention to remain represented in the next Parliament.
On the eve of Ramadan Bayram, the Alliance for Rights and Freedoms party called for unity. Meanwhile, Velichie said the current Parliament had failed to show resolve.
Toma Bikov, MP for the GERB–UDF parliamentary group, said:
"We succeeded in achieving our major goal: Bulgaria’s full membership in all EU structures. Our efforts also came with significant public backlash, largely due to our participation in a coalition with parties holding divergent ideological views. In the next Parliament, those who are elected should show less emotion and more reason."
Nadezhda Yordanova, MP from We Continue the Change - Democratic Bulgaria parliamentary group:
"While the national goal of Bulgaria’s accession to the eurozone was achieved, the ‘sanitary cordon’ that could have ensured institutions remained free from corruption has collapsed. Long live a strong Bulgaria in a strong Europe."
Kostadin Kostadinov, leader of Vazrazhdane, said:
"This has been yet another period of lost historical time for Bulgaria, during which a large proportion of the parties in Parliament – indeed almost all of them, except Vazrazhdane – have effectively lost their ideological basis for existence."
Yordan Tsonev, MP for the MRF–New Beginning parliamentary group, said:
"The 51st National Assembly was constituted in its current form by the will of around 2.2 to 2.3 million Bulgarian voters. It is now coming to an end by the will of fewer than 10% of them. The Bulgarian people must be freed from this unregulated, undemocratic usurpation of power in our country."
Natalia Kiseleva, MP for the BSP–United Left parliamentary group, said:
"The crisis has not gone away; it merely subsided for a while, and this Parliament has shown that it failed to overcome it. Another Bulgaria is possible – fairer, more solidaristic, and freer."
Toshko Yordanov, MP for the “There Is Such a People” parliamentary group, said:
"After the regular government was removed – not because it failed in its duties, but because a power-hungry clique used the internet to create entirely fabricated fears – I will address We continue the change - Democratic Bulgaria: you orchestrated this outrage, but it will not succeed, because there will be such a people."
Husni Adem, MP for the ARF parliamentary group, said:
"The true strength of a society lies in its unity. Let us show that we can stand together, not despite our differences, but thanks to them."
Krasimira Katincharova, MP for the Velichie parliamentary group, said:
"This Parliament is leaving. Beyond being the product of the largest electoral fraud in Bulgaria’s recent history, it has shown no backbone, no character."
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