Elected Parliament Holds Inaugural Sitting

The 52nd National Assembly of Bulgaria is scheduled to convene for its inaugural sitting on April 30. President Iliana Iotova signed a decree on April 28 calling the newly elected 240-seat parliament to its first sitting at 10 am. During this session, the President is expected to address the newly elected Members of Parliament.

According to constitutional procedure, the sitting will commence with the oldest MP present, identified as Rumen Milanov of Progressive Bulgaria. Following the opening, all MPs will take an oath, swearing to uphold the Constitution and the laws of Bulgaria, guiding their actions by the interests of the people. After the oath, official documents will be signed, and the Bulgarian and European national anthems will be played in the plenary chamber.

By established tradition, the various parties and coalitions represented in the National Assembly will deliver statements during the inaugural sitting. This will be followed by the election of the Chair of the National Assembly, who will subsequently assume the role of chair and deliver an address. The MPs will also vote to elect the Deputy Chairs of the Assembly.

The Chair will then announce the formation and leadership of the parliamentary groups. The distribution of seats in the 52nd National Assembly was confirmed by the Central Election Commission (CEC) on April 23, following the early parliamentary elections held on April 19. Progressive Bulgaria secured 131 seats, followed by GERB–UDF with 39, Continue the Change – Democratic Bulgaria with 37, the Movement for Rights and Freedoms with 21, and Vazrazhdane with 12.

The CEC’s data indicates that the newly elected parliament comprises 57 women and 183 men.

Topics: #sitting #elected #parliament