Bulgaria Prepares for Inaugural Session of 50th National Assembly

The first session of Bulgaria's newly elected 50th National Assembly will convene at 9:00 a.m. on June 19, 2024, as announced by President Rumen Radev through a decree based on Article 75 of the Constitution. According to the president's press office, this session marks a significant political event following the recent parliamentary elections.

Unlike previous norms, the 49th National Assembly continues to operate until the swearing-in of the newly elected parliament, under constitutional changes implemented last year. The upcoming week is expected to be politically charged, with consultations between parties playing a crucial role. Today, GERB, the leading party in the elections, has initiated talks by sending invitation letters to other parliamentary groups. They aim to commence consultations with a negotiating team comprising Temenujka Petkova, Raya Nazaryan, and Denitsa Sacheva. The Movement for Rights and Freedoms (DPS), positioned second in the election results, is likely to be the first invited for discussions. However, "We Continue the Change-Democratic Bulgaria" (WCC-DB) has already declined to participate in early consultations.

In the latest parliamentary elections, GERB secured the highest share of the vote at 24.7%, followed by DPS with 17.07% and WCC-DB with 14.33%. "Revival" obtained 13.78%, while the Bulgarian Socialist Party (BSP) received 7.06%. "There Is Such a People" (TISP) garnered 5.96%, and "Greatness" obtained 4.65%. In the European Parliament elections, GERB led with 23.54%, followed by DPS at 14.66% and WCC-DB at 14.44%. "Revival" secured 13.98%, while BSP received 7.01% and TISP 6.04%.