site.btaUPDATED All Parliamentary Groups but Vazrazhdane, MECh Leave Plenary during Vazrazhdane's Declaration Once Again

On Thursday, the National Assembly sitting began with a declaration by the Euro-sceptic, nationalist Vazrazhdane party, during which all MPs, except for the members of Vazrazhdane and Morality, Unity, Honour (MECh), left the plenary hall – just as they had on Wednesday during a declaration against the adoption of the euro, read by Vazrazhdane Floor Leader Kostadin Kostadinov.

As MPs were leaving the plenary hall on Thursday, speaking from the parliamentary rostrum, Vazrazhdane MP Iskra Mihaylova said that "[GERB leader Boyko] Borissov’s regime is leaving the hall". She reiterated that Vazrazhdane insists on holding a national referendum to keep the Bulgarian lev as the country's national currency.

Meanwhile, Vazrazhdane MPs displayed a banner at their seats reading "Freedom for the students. Prison for Borissov". They also held up posters with the same message.

"Borissov’s regime decided and demanded an ad-hoc report to bring Bulgaria into the Eurozone, even though our economy is not ready for this. Inflation in Bulgaria is high, the deficit is not within the necessary limits, and the government is struggling to reduce it with old mafia-style practices, even planning to force companies to donate to the state budget, preparing to legalize this state extortion with a law," Mihaylova argued.

Referring to Vazrazhdane's Saturday anti-Euro protest, after which five people—four adults and one minor—were detained and charged with hooliganism, Mihaylova said: "They humiliated the free and democratic right to choose and the vote of 604,000 Bulgarians who signed to hold a referendum. On Saturday, the state provoked a clash with civil society. People were beaten, gassed, and arrested without reason and without provocation. It is clear what Borissov's regime is doing. It beats and practices heavy police brutality. What are we going to do next? We will read out a declaration in the European Parliament with the help of our Europe of Sovereign Nations Group. We will raise the issue of expressing democratic positions by European citizens. We will address the double standards in politics, media coverage, and civil protests," Mihaylova said, adding that Vazrazhdane will invite external observers to the trial of those detained after the protest.

After the declaration was read, National Assembly Chair Nataliya Kiselova announced a one-hour recess.