Parliament Rejects Vazrazhdane Proposal to Ban Individuals Sanctioned under the Magnitsky Act from Holding Public, Local, or Party Positions

Metodi Yordanov, Teodora Tsaneva

MPs vote in Parliament, Nov. 29, 2024 (BTA Photo/Vladimir Shokov)

Sofia,

30.10.2025 15:49

(BTA)

Parliament rejected a bill proposed by the Vazrazhdane party to amend the Election Code, which sought to prohibit individuals sanctioned under the US Magnitsky Act from holding state, local, or party positions in Bulgaria. The proposed amendments were rejected on first reading with 110 votes against, 68 in favour and 19 abstentions.

A re-vote was requested by Vazrazhdane leader Kostadin Kostadinov, who argued that four MPs from Democratic Bulgaria had voted “to protect Peevski” and urged them to “spare themselves the embarrassment” by not taking part in the second vote.

During the re-vote, 10 MPs from Continue the Change–Democratic Bulgaria again supported the proposal, while four voted against. The amendments were also supported by MPs from Vazrazhdane, Alliance for Rights and Freedoms, MECh, and Velichie. The parliamentary groups of GERB–UDF, MRF–New Beginning, 14 MPs from BSP–United Left, and three independent MPs voted against. There Is Such a People abstained, along with two BSP MPs.

The Vazrazhdane bill proposed introducing a new eligibility criterion for elected and appointed positions — namely, the absence of corruption-related sanctions imposed by foreign countries or international bodies.

/NZ/