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

Lake Pomorie welcomes visitors free of charge today 

The Visitor Centre on Lake Pomorie will be welcoming visitors free of charge today, 1 February, on the occasion of World Wetlands Day, which will be celebrated on 2 February. This was announced by the Municipality of Pomorie. The centre will be open..

published on 2/1/25 7:05 AM

February begins with springlike temperatures

On Saturday, fog or low clouds will cover the plains and sheltered valleys. Minimum temperatures will be between 0 and 5°C, around 1°C in Sofia. Sunny weather will prevail during the day, with more clouds in the northeast and in the afternoon in the..

published on 1/31/25 7:05 PM

Tax authorities urge influencers and online content creators to pay taxes

In the midst of the campaign to pay taxes for the past 2024, the National Revenue Agency has reminded influencers, bloggers, vloggers and other online content creators, as well as traders on social networks, that they are obliged to declare their income..

published on 1/31/25 6:14 PM