site.btaUPDATED Constitutional Amendments: Reactions

Following are highlights of comments by politicians after Parliament adopted conclusively amendments to Bulgaria's Constitution:

Justice Minister Atanas Slavov: In the last 30 years, this has been the biggest step Bulgaria has taken towards being a European and democratic country with a rule of law. These changes guarantee that Bulgaria will remain an active member of the European Union, that Bulgaria will remain a parliamentary republic, which means that pluralism and competition of opinions will come first, not autocratic decision-making. Being the Minister of Justice, I am happy with what has been achieved, I would even say that the amendments adopted are better than those tabled, which were made possible thanks to dialogue, reasonable compromise and the responsibility assumed by the political forces. 

Vazrazhdane leader Kostadin Kostadinov: An act of lawlessness has been committed, which harms the national security. We are nearby done drafting a petition to the Constitutional Court, which will challenge everything that was adopted. The petition bears 48 signatures by the parliamentary groups of Vazrazhdane and There Is Such a People. These changes legalize national betrayal. Allowing dual nationals with no connection to Bulgaria to become ministers and MPs is only the first step, because after that there will be others - the President, heads of services, everywhere. The President should immediately veto the amendments.

Unlike all other laws, the President may not impose a veto on this law but may refer it to the Constitutional Court. The law amending the Constitution is signed and must be gazetted by the Chairperson of the National Assembly within seven days after the passage of the law.  

Continue the Change - Democratic Bulgaria (CC-DB) Co-leader Hristo Ivanov: For us, this is the real beginning of judicial reform. These changes make it possible, with the subsequent amendments to the Judiciary Act in the codes of procedure and, above all, with the personnel decisions that are to be taken, to complete and achieve the goals that we have set ourselves: true independence of the Bulgarian courts in keeping with the European standards, a prosecution service that is accountable to the public and serves the law, and fair justice by European standards. These changes have shown that in Bulgaria, despite great divisions, it is possible to reach agreement on national goals. I am grateful to my colleagues of CC-DB, GERB-UDF, the Movement for Rights and Freedoms (MRF), the opposition from the BSP for Bulgaria, as well as to all those who took part in this debate and the members of the Constitutional Affairs Committee who conducted the debate. We are not worried about the plans to challenge the amendments before the Constitutional Court. 

CC-DB Co-floor Leader Kiril Petkov: I am happy that 33 years on, the social contract has changed. When a set of rules are enforced for 33 years and the result is a sense of injustice, and lawlessness, today we can say that the rules have changed. This gives us hope that now with the next steps, which will not be easy, we will get to where we all dream of being as Bulgarians: a fair European state. The next step is the regulators and the bodies where the rules for electing members were amended by the changes in the Constitution. The framework has been set in place and now if there are people with great professionalism to fill these positions, I believe the change will be irreversible. 

MRF Floor Leader Delyan Peevski: We finally have a parliamentary republic in the full meaning of the phrase. We have done our best with our colleagues. I am very pleased with the success. I think today is a historic day for Bulgaria. The days are over of the caretaker governments acting without control. Most importantly, there will be no timelessness as Parliament will work at all times and there will also be control over caretaker ministers. I hope that this is a good day for Bulgaria. The next step is to start the judicial laws. There is time for the regulators, we will be careful about that and discuss things.

GERB Party leader Boyko Borissov: What we have promised to do - we delivered. We gave the support of 69 MPs. The next thing that needs to be done, which is very important and which was also among the reasons why we came together, is the budget. 

BSP for Bulgaria Floor Leader Korneliya Ninova: Of all the damage that this coalition has done to the country so far, the change in the Constitution is the biggest damage. The dual citizenship for MPs and ministers betrays Bulgarian national sovereignty. We can now officially be run by foreign citizens. Judicial reform does not aim at any justice and independence in the judiciary. They have also allocated their portions in the judiciary. DB and Hristo Ivanov finally get their judges to choose their own quota in the Supreme Judicial Council, MRF gets a politically dependent prosecution service where most of the prosecutors will be chosen by the National Assembly. Boyko Borissov gets a mere promise that they will protect him [from prosecution] until the end. This is what they call judicial reform. The next step is the regulators which will be split up three-ways along political lines for the next five or seven years. They have opened the door for negotiations with the President. 

Stanislav Balabanov MP of There Is Such a People: Today we attended the most shameful sitting in the history of the 49th National Assembly. These amendments to the Constitution were adopted under the pressure of a perverse majority that is kept together only by a personal economic interest. We will be taking this matter to the Constitutional Court in the strongest possible terms, and we continue to have faith that there is an independent institution somewhere in this country, such as the CC, which will stop these changes, because these changes are only about a merger of powers and absolute control by a majority that is under-representative and has very low approval. Under this "new constitution", if a government is illegitimate and is overthrown by protests, the same incompetent politicians can take the helm of the country, only via a caretaker government.