Petar Petrov

The 51st National Assembly has failed for the fifth time to elect a Speaker, as the Bulgarian Socialist Party (BSP)-United Left maintained its position and did not support Silvi Kirilov, the candidate from "There Is Such a People" (TISP). Meanwhile, internal divisions persist within "We Continue the Change-Democratic Bulgaria" (WCC-DB), with some members opposing Kirilov's nomination.

Bulgarian MPs are set to attempt electing a speaker of parliament for the fifth time today, following repeated delays in the process since the constitution of the 51st National Assembly.

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.

Raya Nazaryan, nominated by GERB, failed to secure enough votes in two rounds of voting to become the Speaker of Bulgaria's 50th Parliament. In the initial round, she garnered 116 votes in favor, while 69 deputies opposed her candidacy and 53 abstained.

We followed the voting live, read more here.

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.

The Bulgarian Parliament has voted to amend citizenship laws, making proficiency in the Bulgarian language a prerequisite for obtaining citizenship. The amendment, proposed by the Council of Ministers, received overwhelming support with 154 votes in favor and 22 abstentions during the first reading.

A startling revelation emerged as authorities confirmed that a detained police officer from the Main Directorate for Combating Organized Crime (GDBOP) was found to be in communication with an employee of the State Agency "National Security" (SANS).

In a united effort, opposition parties, including the Bulgarian Socialist Party (BSP), There Is Such a People (TISP), and Vazrazhdane (Revival), have jointly filed an appeal with the Constitutional Court disputing the election of new constitutional judges.

An extraordinary session in the Bulgarian Parliament took a tumultuous turn as members of the pro-Russian party "Vazrazhdane" party sought to disrupt proceedings, sparking turmoil within the debating chamber. The session, primarily focused on critical energy-related amendments, was marred by dramatic interruptions and attempts to silence discussions by shutting down the sound system.