Ratification of Istanbul Convention Postponed

The left-wing opposition Bulgarian Socialist Party (BSP) filed a request to the Parliament on 25^th of Janaury demanding a referendum on the ratification of the Istanbul Convention.

GERB, the majority partner in the ruling coalition, said that the ratification of the convention would be postponed because they would inisist on a broader public debate on the topic with the participation of representatives of the academic community and NGOs.

United Patriots, the minority partner in the coalition government, were supportive of GERB’s decision to postpone ratification. BSP filed the demand for making the ratification of the Istanbul Convention subject to a nation-wide referendum. The demand was backed by the signatures of 74 MPs from BSP.