site.btaMost Reasonable Approach Would Be for Two Largest Parliamentary Groups to Unite, National Assembly Chair Kiselova Suggests

In a Bulgarian National Radio interview on Saturday, National Assembly Chair Nataliya Kiselova suggested that if negotiations for forming a regular government take place, there will also likely be discussions regarding the activities of regulatory agencies. She explained that once parliamentary committees are established, one of their tasks will be to begin work on appointing new members to the regulatory agencies from the parliamentary quota.

Responding to a question about whether there is sufficient time to call off the procedure for the election of a Prosecutor General, in which acting Prosecutor General Borislav Sarafov is the sole candidate, Kiselova stated that the National Assembly’s Legal Affairs Committee is scheduled to hold its first session on January 7. At this session, the committee will review three bills proposing amendments to the Judiciary System Act. "I don’t want to promise that such a law will be adopted by January 16. It is more likely that Sarafov will be elected and subsequently appointed by the President. However, there have been instances when a nomination was called off," Kiselova noted.

She suggested a possible indirect link between the negotiations for a government and the election of a Prosecutor General. According to her, the issue is not who will be elected as the Prosecutor General, but whom the Prosecutor General will be accountable to and how prosecutors’ activities can be monitored and controlled.

"There are two governance options: one with GERB and one without GERB. The question is whether the largest parliamentary group should participate in it. [...] If we take a broader view, no legal changes requiring a qualified majority can be made without GERB, which explains why Democratic Bulgaria is in talks with them. The most reasonable approach would be for the two largest parliamentary groups to unite and determine steps for the country to move forward," Kiselova argued.

On the ongoing 2025 State Budget Act saga, Kiselova remarked that the parliamentary Budget and Finance Committee will meet on January 7 to discuss the Public Social Insurance Budget Bill, the National Health Insurance Budget Bill, and the draft 2025 State Budget Act, as well as potential amendments to tax laws.

Regarding the unsigned security cooperation agreement with Ukraine, for which caretaker Prime Minister Dimitar Glavchev did not receive parliamentary approval, Kiselova mentioned that she invited Glavchev to be heard in plenary regarding the agreement, even though it is now a fait accompli.