Bulgarian Parliament Rejects Proposal to Ease Referendum Conditions

The Bulgarian parliament has rejected a proposal to ease the conditions for holding referendums. The proposed changes, introduced by "There Is Such a People" (TISP), sought to adjust the Law on Direct Participation of Citizens in State Power and Local Self-Government to make it easier for referendums to be valid.

Under the proposal, the minimum number of signatures required would be determined based on voter turnout in the most recent elections rather than a fixed number. Additionally, the requirement for presenting a permanent address would be removed for national referendums, and the period for collecting signatures would be extended. The proposal also suggested eliminating the need for more than half of the participants to vote "yes" for a referendum to be adopted and establishing rules for continuing an already-started referendum.

Despite these changes, the National Assembly rejected the proposal with 81 votes in favor (from "Revival", TISP, and BSP), 30 against (from GERB and WCC-DB), and 80 abstentions (mainly from GERB, WCC-DB, and DPS). TISP argued that the current law is flawed and their proposed changes aimed to address issues such as declining population and making the process more accessible.