For the fifth time Bulgaria elects representatives to the European Parliament

published on 6/9/24 8:00 AM

Photo: ec.europa.eu

Bulgaria has been a member of the EU since 1 January 2007. However, Bulgaria had representatives in the European Parliament before its official membership. In 2005, the National Assembly elected 18 Bulgarian MPs who had the status of Euro observers. Until Bulgaria's EU membership, they were entitled to participate in all the meetings of the European Parliament - political groups, committees and plenary, but without the right to vote. They could also make speeches at all but plenary sittings.

After Bulgaria's accession to the EU, the Bulgarian representatives in the European Parliament received the rights and remuneration of full MEPs. Their mandate lasted until 2009, when Bulgaria, for the first time in its political history, elected its MEPs. Then MPs from 6 parties and coalitions (GERB, MRF, ATAKA, Coalition for Bulgaria, NDSV and the Blue Coalition) changed the building of the National Assembly in Sofia with those of the European Parliament. At the next European elections, in 2014, the Bulgarian citizens sent representatives of 5 native political formations to the EP, the same number remained in the next mandate - from 2019 to 2024.

From 2024, the seats in the European Parliament increase by 15, with 12 member states getting an increased number of seats, but in line with the rule that no country can have more than 96 and less than 6 seats.

In the EU's 720-seat parliament, Bulgaria keeps the number of its representatives - 17. 31 Bulgarian parties and coalitions have nominated candidates. Voting in Bulgaria is compulsory by law, is carried out in person by the voter and constitutes the performance of his or her civic duty.

On 9 June, there will be European elections in 20 of the 27 member states. Voting is carried out by proportional electoral system with national electoral lists of political parties, colitions and independent candidates by preferential voting. Preferential votes cast for individual candidates are counted if the number of votes received for the candidate amounts to at least 15% of the valid votes cast for the list of candidates concerned.

The actual conduct of polling day shall be according to the national electoral rules in each Member State. Unlike the vote for the national parliament, where a party is required to receive 4% of the actual votes to be part of the National Assembly, there is no official electoral threshold for the EP in Bulgaria. "According to unofficial data it is about 5.13%," said the EP representation in Sofia.

Eligible to vote are Bulgarian citizens who are 18 years of age or older and who have lived permanently for at least the last three months in Bulgaria or in another EU member state and are not serving a prison sentence.

Any citizen of an EU Member State who is not a Bulgarian citizen shall be entitled to vote for members of the European Parliament from the Republic of Bulgaria if he/she is 18 years of age or older, has the status of a long-term or permanent resident in Bulgaria, has lived permanently for at least the last three months in Bulgaria or in another EU Member State, has not been deprived of the right to vote in the Member State of which he/she is a citizen, and has declared in advance by written declaration his/her wish to exercise his/her right to vote on the territory of Bulgaria.

Any Bulgarian citizen who is at least 21 years of age, has a permanent address in the country, has lived permanently for at least the last two years in Bulgaria or in another EU Member State, is not a citizen of a non-EU country and is not subject to a disqualification order or serving a custodial sentence shall be eligible to be elected as a Member of the European Parliament from Bulgaria.

On 9 June, Bulgaria holds 2-in-1 elections - for members of the national parliament and MEPs. In this regard, we should remind that on election day in Bulgaria and in the EU Member States, Bulgarian voters have the right to vote in both elections. In non-EU countries, including the UK, only those Bulgarian nationals who choose to cast their vote at the polling stations open in the diplomatic and consular representations of Bulgaria are entitled to vote for the National Assembly and the European Parliament. In other places in the countries outside the Community, Bulgarian nationals can vote only for candidates for the 50th National Assembly.

Compiled by Joan Kolev

Photos: ec.europa.eu, BGNES

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