Podcast in English
Text size
Bulgarian National Radio © 2024 All Rights Reserved

Proposed amendments to the Constitution rule out changing National Day

Parliament's Constitutional Affairs Committee proposes allowing MPs with dual citizenship to stand for election

Photo: BTA

A Bulgarian citizen with dual citizenship can be elected to Parliament if he or she has lived in the country for the last 18 months, according to amendments to the Constitution adopted by the National Assembly's Committee on Constitutional Affairs. The vote on the dual citizenship proposal was preceded by a debate in the Chamber, with the participation of constitutional experts and MPs.

Candidates with dual citizenship will also be eligible to become ministers, but the residency requirement will not apply.

Other provisions agreed to include a reduction in the term of office of the Prosecutor General from 7 to 5 years and a prohibition on the Prosecutor taking up the position again. In addition, the Supreme Judicial Council will be divided into a Judicial Council and a Prosecutorial Council.

State regulators would be elected by a qualified 2/3 majority, according to another proposal to be enshrined in the Basic Law. MPs rejected the idea of changing the date of the national holiday from 3 March to 24 May.

Under the Constitution and the procedural rules for its amendment, the bill should be debated and adopted by three votes on different days. If it has the support of three-quarters of all members of parliament, it will be adopted at the first reading. If it receives less than three-quarters but at least two-thirds of the votes of all MPs, it should be debated again between two and five months later. At this point, if there is support from at least two-thirds of all MPs, the motion will be passed.



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

Sunny weather in most of Bulgaria on Thursday, with fog near rivers

Overnight it will be clear. The wind will die down in most areas. After midnight along the Danube River, in lowlands and near rivers fogs will form and visibility will be reduced with low clouds. Minimum temperatures will be between minus 3°C and 2°C,..

published on 11/27/24 7:25 PM

EU ambassadors reach agreement on Bulgaria’s entry into Schengen by land

The ambassadors of the EU Member States have reached a preliminary agreement on the draft decision to abolish checks at internal land borders for Bulgaria and Romania. This is planned to happen on January 1, 2025. The decision is expected to be finally..

published on 11/27/24 5:45 PM

Shopping malls vow to step up security after series of aggressive acts

Shopping malls in Sofia and across the country will increase the number of security guards where needed. Additional panic buttons are also to be put in place if retailers wish, the Bulgarian Retail Association said. Groups of suspicious persons will be..

published on 11/27/24 4:44 PM