Bozhidar Bozhanov

A meeting between GERB and the "Democratic Bulgaria" (DB) teams marked the beginning of negotiations to form a new government. The discussions, held behind closed doors without media presence, concluded without any statements from the parties.

The eighth attempt to elect a Speaker of the 51st National Assembly has once again failed, with neither candidate securing the necessary votes. In the latest session, Natalia Kiselova, nominated by "BSP - United Left", received 87 votes in favor, 60 against, and 90 abstentions. She was primarily supported by the GERB party and the left-wing factions.

Bulgarian MPs have declined to back a bill proposed by the "There Is Such a People" party (TISP) that aimed to prohibit advertising and medical procedures for gender reassignment for individuals under 18. Meanwhile, "We Continue the Change - Democratic Bulgaria" (WCC-DB) abstained from voting on three of its own proposed amendments to the Child Protection Act.

The "Yes, Bulgaria!" party is focusing on developing a strategy for participating in the upcoming elections for the 51st National Assembly. The party's National Council, in a resolution issued on August 18, 2024, has directed the Executive Board to formulate and present a plan aimed at consolidating the pro-European and pro-reform vote within the center-right spectrum.

The parliamentary factions of "We Continue the Change - Democratic Bulgaria" (WCC-DB) and "There Is Such a People" (TISP) convened to explore potential agreements for forming a government under a third mandate.

Parliament has passed amendments to the Labour Code, fundamentally altering the landscape of teleworking. The decision reached during Thursday's session, heralds a significant shift in the rights and responsibilities of both employers and employees engaged in remote work.

The Minister of e-Government, Alexander Yolovski, recently revealed that the passwords associated with 2,439 government employee email addresses have been leaked onto the dark web. This disclosure came in response to inquiries from the deputy of "We Continue the Change - Democratic Bulgaria," Bozhidar Bozhanov.

People wait to cast ballots at a polling station in a school for the parliamentary elections in Sofia, Bulgaria, 4 April 2021. Photo: EPA-EFE/VASSIL DONEV

"In the near future, it will be possible to pay for administrative services in Bulgaria with bank cards issued abroad.

This is already a fact in the Ministry of Electronic Government", said Minister Bozhidar Bozhanov, who has received many signals about the problem. The ministry's virtual POS terminal now accepts foreign bank cards.

Bulgarian National Bank (BNB) and Bulgarian Posts (BGPost) to be included in the list of strategic sites to be inspected by State Agency for National Security (SANS). This will be proposed by the Council of Ministers after the cyber attack, which blocked the work of the post offices, announced the Minister of Electronic Government Bozhidar Bozhanov.