site.btaParliament Chair Denies Acting under Political Pressure, Proposes Solutions for Dissolved Group Crisis, Parties React

Parliament Chair Nataliya Kiselova Tuesday denied allegations by Morality, Unity, Honour (MECh) leader Radostin Vasilev that she had been pressured to announce the dissolution of his parliamentary group. She also suggested two ways of addressing the situation that emerged after the dissolution of the MECh group last week as it dropped below the required number of MPs for a group to exist, and both solutions involve a resolution by the MPs to revise the parliamentary rules of organization. Kiselova's statement prompted reactions from political entities in Parliament, with There Is Such a People (TISP) submitting a draft resolution to reinstate the MECh group. 

Kiselova held an extraordinary news briefing to offer her take on the situation with MECh, and Vasilev’s claims that she admitted in a phone call with him that she had acted under pressure. Vasilev said he had a recording of the phone call and threatened to make it public.

"The only pressure I allow to be put on me is pressure from the experts. I have never received any threats from politicians," said the Parliament Chair. 

Timeline of a parliamentary group's dissolution

On March 21, towards the end of a 22-hour marathon sitting of the legislature which debated and adopted the 2025 State Budget Act, Nataliya Kiselova announced that the MECh group ceased to exist after the resignation of its member Samuil Slavov left it with nine members, one fewer than the minimum required for the formation of a parliamentary group. The fewer-than-required-MPs situation was also a result of a Constitutional Court decision that revised the number of MPs of all groups in Parliament.

According to the rules, after a parliamentary group ceases to exist, its members should become independent MPs. They may not join another group and may not set up a new group.

Later the same day, MECh called for the resignation of the Parliament Chair and threatened civil disobedience. 

At the Tuesday news briefing, Kiselova provided more details. On March 13, the Constitutional Court decision regarding the replacement of 16 MPs, was received, impacting multiple parliamentary groups including MECh. An emergency meeting was scheduled for March 14, where she urged all groups to ensure the presence of new MPs for their oath-taking. MECh had been given time and flexibility to secure its existence as a group, said Kiselova. She noted that the MECh leader had been warned ahead of the announcement of the group’s dissolution. On March 19, a regular meeting of the parliamentary leadership took place, during which Vasilev announced an MP’s resignation and requested an immediate vote. Kiselova privately urged him to reconsider, warning him that the move could endanger his parliamentary group. Despite her warnings, the resignation was confirmed, and the MP was released on March 19.

Later that day, MPs from the Velichie party were sworn in. Parliament had an extended sitting on March 20 to pass the State Budget Act and MPs agreed to cancel the regular plenary sitting on March 21, with no objections raised, Kiselova said.

The possible solutions

The Parliament leader outlined two possible "legitimate solutions". In one, the MPs will amend the parliamentary rules of organization in Chapter Four concerning the parliamentary groups, to fill a void concerning a situation when an MP is elected as a result of a Constitutional Court decision. In the other, the MPs will adopt a resolution in keeping with the parliamentary rules of organization, to settle any matters ensuing from the Constitutional Court decision regarding this Parliament. In any case, it is all in the hands of the MPs, said the Parliament leader.

She went on to blast the secret recording of her conversation with Vasilev by him. She said that this act has legal and moral aspects, and while she has no worries about her phone conversations, it is inadmissible for an MP to violate the Constitution which bans recording a phone conversation without the person’s knowledge. 

Parties' reactions

There Is Such a People has submitted a draft resolution to reinstate the MECh parliamentary group, which will be discussed in a leaders council meeting on Wednesday. TISP Deputy Floor Leader Stanislav Balabanov said that the resignation of Kiselova as Parliament Chair is not on the agenda, as she has formally complied with the parliamentary rules.

The draft resolution says that MPs in the 51st National Assembly from the dissolved MECh group may form a new group due to unsettled questions in the parliamentary rules of procedure concerning the period between the announcement of elected MPs and their oath in office.

GERB-UDF expressed support for the draft resolution and strongly condemned all attacks against the National Assembly Chair. GERB-UDF Deputy Floor Leader Denitsa Sacheva said that the coalition stands for “finding a reasonable, legitimate solution to the crisis, but we strongly condemn all attacks against the leader of the National Assembly, especially the rude insults and ugly language”. GERB-UDF believe that Vasilev is "unworthy of serving as deputy chair of Parliament, but they will not seek his resignation, leaving the decision up to him,” Sacheva added. 

Continue the Change-Democratic Bulgaria (CC-DB) also supported the reinstatement of the MECh group. CC-DB Deputy Floor Leader Bozhidar Bozhanov said that they consider it unfair for a parliamentary group to be dissolved for technical reasons. 

The Bulgarian Socialist Party declared its support for National Assembly Chair Nataliya Kiselova and condemned the behavior of MP Radostin Vasilev as “destructive and provocative”. 

MECh leader Radostin Vasilev said that MECh will accept all decisions of Parliament that will reinstate their group, claiming that its dissolution was “illegall” and intended as “a blow” to him. While thanking Kiselova, as well as the parliamentary groups for their support, Vasilev said that MECh continues to demand Kiselova's resignation “because she is not doing her job as leader of the National Assembly”. He noted that MECh's actions are in response to the attacks on him, adding that a protest against the “thugs in the government“ will be held outside the parliament building on Wednesday.