Rumen Milanov Rang the Bell to Mark the Opening of Bulgaria's New Parliament

The first sitting of the 52nd National Assembly began at exactly 10:00 on April 30, with 239 MPs registered in attendance. The newly elected MPs are to take the oath of office.

The session was opened by the oldest MP, Rumen Milanov of “Progressive Bulgaria”, who rang the first bell. The formal part of the proceedings took place in the presence of President Iliiana Iotova.

The first task for the 240 Members of Parliament is the election of a Speaker. Among the names being discussed are former caretaker Prime Minister Galab Donev, as well as legal experts Mihaela Dotsova and Prof. Yanka Tyankova, all from “Progressive Bulgaria”. “Vazrazhdane” has also announced that it will nominate its own candidate.

Following a leaders’ meeting yesterday, it became clear that “We Continue the Change” and “Democratic Bulgaria” will register two separate parliamentary groups in the new National Assembly. As a result, Parliament will comprise five parties and six parliamentary groups. The largest will be “Progressive Bulgaria” with a majority of 131 MPs, followed by GERB-UDF with 39. After the split, “We Continue the Change” will have 16 MPs, “Democratic Bulgaria” 21, the Movement for Rights and Freedoms (MRF) 21, and the smallest group will be “Vazrazhdane” with 12 MPs.