The 52nd National Assembly convened for its inaugural session on Thursday. Following a split within the Continue the Change – Democratic Bulgaria (CC-DB) coalition, six parliamentary groups were established. Progressive Bulgaria MP Mihaela Dotsova was elected National Assembly Chair, a vote supported by her coalition, GERB-UDF, and the Movement for Rights and Freedoms (MRF).
The session commenced with the oath administered to the 240 lawmakers by Progressive Bulgaria MP Rumen Milanov. During the proceedings, President Iotova addressed the members, urging the legislature to prioritize the vote on the 2026 State budget and emphasizing the necessity of Bulgaria projecting a strong voice within the European Union. After the formation of the parliamentary groups, each elected a Deputy Chair.
In a speech, Dotsova stated that the challenge facing the Assembly was to restore best practices in lawmaking, ensuring the process was predictable and based on debate rather than mere procedure. The various political factions issued declarations outlining their mandates. Key priorities highlighted included passing the State budget, strengthening the rule of law, and addressing corruption.
Progressive Bulgaria emphasized these structural reforms, while the CC-DB coalition declared its opposition role would focus on defending the rule of law and modernizing the state. Similarly, MRF focused on defending citizens’ rights and economic stability. Overall, the inaugural sitting established the procedural leadership of the national assembly while simultaneously defining the political fault lines within Bulgaria, centering debate on budgetary needs and the state’s institutional trajectory.
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