National Assembly

Only 27% of the members in the 50th Bulgarian Parliament are women, but this marks an increase in their numbers. The "Greatness" party has the highest share of women at 46%, while "There Is Such a People" (TISP) has the smallest at 18%. On June 9, 2024, the regular European Parliament elections and the sixth early parliamentary elections in three years were held.

Raya Nazaryan has assumed the role of Speaker of the 50th National Assembly with the backing of GERB, DPS, and "There Is Such a People" (TISP), securing 131 votes in favor, while 66 were against and 39 abstained. Her election followed two days of negotiations and procedural delays.

Today marks the second day of the inaugural session of the 50th National Assembly, after failing to elect a speaker yesterday. Raya Nazaryan's candidacy garnered support from GERB, DPS, and Hristo Prodanov of BSP, totaling 116 votes initially. However, Prodanov voted "against" in the second round.

North Korea and Russia have agreed to provide immediate military aid to each other in the event of armed aggression, as outlined in a newly signed pact. This agreement was formalized during Russian President Vladimir Putin's first visit to Pyongyang in 24 years.

Nikolay Markov, leader of the right-wing "Greatness" (Velichie) party was escorted out of the plenary hall by the quaestors after arriving about 20 minutes late and missing the oath-taking ceremony for the opening of the 50th National Assembly. OFFNews reported that Markov attributed his tardiness to family problems.

Update:  follow the latest developments here

Update: None of the candidates secured the required votes in the initial round of voting for Speaker of the Parliament. With 238 deputies present, the majority needed was 120.

Petar Petrov from "Revival" garnered support solely from his own party, receiving 38 votes.

"There Is Such a People" (TISP) sees an expert cabinet as the most suitable option, according to Toshko Yordanov's recent remarks regarding ongoing discussions with GERB about forming a government. Yordanov indicated that while GERB appears to be warming to the idea, nothing definitive has been decided yet, emphasizing the complexity of moving from concept to execution.

"We Continue the Change - Democratic Bulgaria" (WCC-DB) has declined an invitation to participate in government formation negotiations with GERB, the leading political force in Bulgaria's newly elected parliament. The coalition made its stance clear in a letter to GERB, expressing gratitude for the invitation but firmly stating its decision to act as a strong pro-European opposition.

GERB has issued invitations for meetings with the parties entering the 50th National Assembly to discuss societal issues and the potential support for a new government that will share responsibility for managing Bulgaria. GERB representatives Denitsa Sacheva, Raya Nazaryan, and Temenuzka Petkova will lead the negotiations.

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.