site.btaTwo MPs Scuffle in Plenary

Independent MP Radostin Vasilev and Iskren Mitev MP of Continue the Change - Democratic Bulgaria (CC-DB) scuffled in plenary during Friday's oral question time.

Vasilev told the media in Parliament about the incident and Mitev confirmed it to BTA, adding that Parliament Chair Rosen Zhelyazkov had promised to act. For his part, Vasilev said he had not hit Mitev, no matter what he claimed.

Vasilev said: "I wanted to put a second question to the Prime Minister and Zhelyazkov, who was presiding the sitting, said I couldn't because I am an independent MP. Then Iskren Mitev shouted from the back rows that traitors were entitled to just one question."

"I went to leave my phone and documents in the last row and on the way to the toilet, just behind the Chairperson, Mitev  bumped his shoulder into me as he passed me, so I had to rough his hair a bit," Vasilev added. According to him, Iskren Mitev had shoved him aggressively and tried to tackle him.

Mitev told BTA that, on the contrary, it was Vasilev who pushed him first. Mitev also said he wanted to "apologize to the people who sent us to the National Assembly and witnessed this disgrace".

Vasilev quit the CC-DB parliamentary group to become an independent shortly after recording a meeting of the National Council of the Continue the Change Party and making it public at a BTA-hosted news conference on May 26, 2023.