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.
On this day in 1991 the Seventh Grand National Assembly adopted the new Constitution of Bulgaria and dissolved itself, BTA recalls. This was the first new constitution in the former socialist camp, which came into effect the very next day, July 13. On..
The Bulgarian MPs have adopted regulations for the organization and activities of the National Assembly, BTA reported. The majority rejected the proposals of "Vazrazhdane" and ITN to have the MPs tested for drugs. ITN's proposal provided for the..
The regional governor of Plovdiv, Prof. Hristina Yancheva, announced a partial state of emergency in Hisarya and Kaloyanovo, BTA has reported. The measure was introduced because of the fires in the area of the villages of Pesnopoi and Mihiltsi near..
The European Commission has approved state aid amounting to EUR 142 million (BGN 278 million) to support the energy sector, BNR’s correspondent in..
13 bands from abroad will perform on the big stage of the 4 th edition of Midalidare - Rock in the Wine Valley , 12-14 July, alongside the..
President Rumen Radev is to hand the second governing-forming mandate next week. ''I expect We Continue the Change - Democratic Bulgaria (PP-DB) to..
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