The Venice Commission (The Council of Europe’s European Commission for Democracy through Law) supports some proposals in the draft amendments to the Constitution and makes recommendations regarding others, the Justice Ministry has announced.

The Commission supports the creation of a separate new Supreme Judicial Council for judges only as well as a Prosecutorial Council. It supports the introduction of the right of individual petition to the Constitutional Court and the transfer of cases from ordinary courts to the Constitutional Court. The recommendations include the introduction of anti-deadlock mechanisms when parliament cannot attain a two-thirds majority. The Commission welcomes the elimination of the requirement for sole Bulgarian citizenship for persons eligible for election but points out that this is a political issue. The Commission expresses doubts whether the President of the National Assembly, the President of the Constitutional Court or the President of the National Bank are suitable choices for caretaker prime minister.

The VeniceCommission recommends the Bulgarian authorities to explain in detail the reasons behind each proposal so that the public is aware of the impact of new legislation. It is essential to ensure meaningful participation of all the institutions concerned, all political forces, public, experts in this process, the Venice Commission states.