Podcast in English
Text size
Bulgarian National Radio © 2025 All Rights Reserved

Bulgaria is not obliged to ratify all clauses of the Istanbul convention, Socialist MEP Says

Елена Йончева
Photo: БГНЕС

By ratifying the Istanbul Convention, the European Parliament does not oblige Bulgaria to accept all the clauses in the document. In line with the Constitutional Court's recommendation, Bulgaria can limit its accession to the Istanbul Convention to the part concerning violence against women, Bulgarian Socialist MEP Elena Yoncheva commented to journalists at a forum organized by the Bulgarian Socialist members of the European Parliament. "It is up to us what part of this convention we will implement, because I repeat this is not a regulation, it is a directive," Yoncheva stressed. 

The co-chairman of the Initiative Committee for holding a referendum on banning "gender ideology" in schools, lawyer Vladimir Cheytanov, said that this decision of the European Parliament violates a key principle of EU law, namely the constitutional identity of EU member countries. According to Cheytanov the Istanbul Convention does not correspond to the cultural, spiritual and legislative traditions and peculiarities of Bulgaria.


Последвайте ни и в Google News Showcase, за да научите най-важното от деня!
Listen to the daily news from Bulgaria presented in "Bulgaria Today" podcast, available in Spotify.

More from category

Bulgarian Prime Minister says country ready to help find peace solutions

Speaking at an informal meeting of EU leaders on Friday, Prime Minister Rosen Zhelyazkov said that Bulgaria, as an EU member state and NATO ally, is ready to participate in efforts to find solutions for peace and security. He said that Ukraine’s..

published on 11/24/25 6:02 PM

Bulgarian scientist leads NASA team searching for planets beyond Solar System

Bulgarian-born scientist Dr Ellie Hadjhiyska Schmelzer is leading a team working on NASA’s Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) mission, a space project dedicated to identifying planets outside the Solar System, BTA reported. Hadjhiyska..

published on 11/24/25 5:12 PM
Vice President Iliana Iotova

Bulgaria lacks unified refugee policy, Vice President Iotova says

Bulgaria lacks a coherent national policy on refugees despite continued migrant flows , Vice President Iliana Iotova said on Wednesday, calling for a lead institution to coordinate integration efforts. Speaking at a roundtable event on the..

published on 11/24/25 4:49 PM