The public debate on the bill for the ratification of the Council of Europe Convention on Preventing and Combating Violence against Women and Domestic Violence, the Istanbul Convention, organized by National Assembly President Tsveta Karayancheva, ended up as a clash of polarized opinions, with neither side showing any willingness to alter their stance.
The debate was joined by MPs, representatives of the executive, of NGOs, the principal religious denominations as well as experts. Before that, the document split parliament down the middle. GERB firmly supports the document, while the United Patriots and the Bulgarian Socialist Party are against, as is the Bulgarian Orthodox Church. The opponents of the Convention allege it will lead up to the introduction of the so-called “gender ideology” in Bulgarian legislation – the blurring the notion of “sex” by introducing a socially rather than biologically based definition, and will prepare the ground for demands for the recognition of the so-called “third sex” and same-sex marriage.
The Council of Europe has urged Bulgaria to ratify the Convention, as did EC Vice-President Frans Timmermans during his visit to Sofia on Monday.
The first youth cycling festival "Sofia Bicycle Show", organized by "Sofia - World Capital of Sports" will take place today in the renovated Zapaden Park in the capital city. Children will compete on a completely safe and..
Sunday will be sunny and hot. There will be weak to moderate northeasterly wind. Temperatures will continue to rise and the highest will be between 32°C and 37°C; in Sofia – around 32°C. It will be also sunny in the mountains. In..
The honorary chairman of the Movement for Rights and Freedoms, Ahmed Dogan, has organised a meeting of some of the party members in his summer residence "Rosenets", bTV reported. The MPs and members of the movement who supported him,..
Sunday will be sunny and hot. There will be weak to moderate northeasterly wind. Temperatures will continue to rise and the highest..
The new Bulgarian Patriarch, Daniil, has spoken out in favour of reconciliation within the Orthodox churches. "There is a broken communion between..
The Democrats for a Strong Bulgaria (DSB) party is proposing to its partners in the We Continue the Change-Democratic Bulgaria (PP-DB) coalition that..
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