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

Parliament votes in second reading to allow Bulgarians with dual citizenship to become MPs and ministers

Photo: БТА

MPs adopted amendments to the Constitution in the second of three readings. One of them limits the President's powers in choosing the composition of the caretaker government. The president will now have to appoint a prime minister from a list of people, and after criticism the head of the Supreme Court of Cassation was excluded from the list. The caretaker prime minister will therefore be chosen from among the speaker of the National Assembly, the governor or deputy governor of the Bulgarian National Bank, the president or deputy president of the National Audit Office and the ombudsman or his deputy. If all of the above refuse to take office, the caretaker cabinet will be elected by the National Assembly.
The majority in the National Assembly also approved other important changes to the country's Basic Law, allowing Bulgarian citizens who also hold another citizenship to be elected as ministers and MPs. A requirement of having lived in the country for 18 months will apply to MPs, but not to ministers. 
"Of all the EU countries, Bulgaria is the only one that does not give Bulgarian citizens this right. The time has come," argued Antoaneta Tsoneva of Continue the Change-Democratic Bulgaria (PP-DB). "They have drilled a huge hole in the national security system," said Atanas Zafirov of the opposition Bulgarian Socialist Party (BSP). The opposition said that it would file a complaint against the constitutional changes.



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

The military plant in Sopot: Not only the company, but also Bulgaria is being discredited

Regarding a video published on YouTube, the management of VMZ-Sopot - the largest state-owned military enterprise in Bulgaria, say that the information presented does not correspond to the truth. The enterprise strongly objects to..

published on 9/17/25 5:15 PM

U.S. and Bulgaria strengthen partnership to fight organized crime

The United States Department of Justice led a round-table discussion today with Bulgarian partner agencies on techniques for investigating and prosecuting transnational organized crime, with a focus on future collaboration. The..

published on 9/17/25 4:26 PM

Hristo Stoichkov to be special guest at Simposar Sarajevo 2025

Legendary Bulgarian football player and winner of the 1994 Ballon d'Or, Hristo Stoichkov, will be a special guest at the international sports symposium Simposar Sarajevo 2025, BTA has reported. The sports and business event..

published on 9/17/25 3:28 PM