Podcast in English
Text size
Bulgarian National Radio © 2025 All Rights Reserved

Parliament votes in second reading to allow Bulgarians with dual citizenship to become MPs and ministers

Photo: БТА

MPs adopted amendments to the Constitution in the second of three readings. One of them limits the President's powers in choosing the composition of the caretaker government. The president will now have to appoint a prime minister from a list of people, and after criticism the head of the Supreme Court of Cassation was excluded from the list. The caretaker prime minister will therefore be chosen from among the speaker of the National Assembly, the governor or deputy governor of the Bulgarian National Bank, the president or deputy president of the National Audit Office and the ombudsman or his deputy. If all of the above refuse to take office, the caretaker cabinet will be elected by the National Assembly.
The majority in the National Assembly also approved other important changes to the country's Basic Law, allowing Bulgarian citizens who also hold another citizenship to be elected as ministers and MPs. A requirement of having lived in the country for 18 months will apply to MPs, but not to ministers. 
"Of all the EU countries, Bulgaria is the only one that does not give Bulgarian citizens this right. The time has come," argued Antoaneta Tsoneva of Continue the Change-Democratic Bulgaria (PP-DB). "They have drilled a huge hole in the national security system," said Atanas Zafirov of the opposition Bulgarian Socialist Party (BSP). The opposition said that it would file a complaint against the constitutional changes.



Последвайте ни и в Google News Showcase, за да научите най-важното от деня!
Listen to the daily news from Bulgaria presented in "Bulgaria Today" podcast, available in Spotify.

More from category

Rumen Radev

President Radev: Europe should support the US’ efforts for a peaceful settlement in Ukraine

To insist on seeking a military settlement to the conflict in Ukraine is a losing venture. Europe should support the efforts of the US to find a better solution, said President Rumen Radev at the Chief of Defence Annual Conference in Sofia. At..

published on 2/25/25 2:34 PM
PM Rosen Zhelyazkov

PM Zhelyazkov reiterates no Bulgarian troops will be sent to Ukraine

“There is no change, Bulgarian troops are not going to be sent to Ukraine,” said PM Rosen Zhelyazkov in a comment about the meeting between US President Donald Trump and French President Emmanuel Macron at the White House. “The institutions in..

published on 2/25/25 1:17 PM
Ministry of Defence building

Bulgaria to take part in common procurement of IRIS-T air defence systems and CAESAR howitzers

Bulgaria is to take part in common procurement procedures in the sphere of defence at an EU level, under projects for the acquisition of IRIS-T air defence systems and CAESAR self-propelled howitzers. The Ministry of Defence applied for and..

published on 2/25/25 1:04 PM