Chaos and Confrontation Mark Final Session of Bulgaria’s 50th National Assembly

The 50th National Assembly of Bulgaria concluded its final session in a chaotic atmosphere, marked by physical confrontations and a failure to secure a quorum. Political groups "Revival" (Vazrazhdane) and "There Is Such a People" (TISP) blocked parliamentary proceedings, aiming to halt amendments related to the Recovery and Resilience Plan and the Maritsa Iztok power plant. Workers from the region were also present in the chamber and celebrated the defeat of the proposed changes.

During a late-night attempt to check the quorum, Rositsa Kirova, presiding over the session, found only nine MPs present. She closed the meeting shortly before midnight, with the parliamentary bell signaling its adjournment. Throughout the session, the microphone system was disabled, while MPs continued blocking the tribune. The session ended with applause from the opposition deputies and miners, followed by the lights being switched off in the chamber. Some MPs from "Revival" and TISP remained inside, using their phone flashlights and singing Bulgaria’s national anthem.

One of the session's notable moments was a public embrace between Delyan Peevski, the (co)chairman of the Movement for Rights and Freedoms (DPS), and Toshko Yordanov, the chairman of the parliamentary group of "There Is Such a People." The scene stood in contrast to the overall tensions and aggressive actions, which included MPs pulling cables, breaking loudspeakers, and physically confronting each other. Kiril Petkov, co-chairman of "We Continue the Change," condemned these actions, calling them hooliganism.

According to Petkov and his colleagues Asen Vassilev and Nikolai Denkov, the proposed changes to the Recovery and Resilience Plan were critical for securing European funding, especially for Bulgaria's energy sector. Petkov noted that their parliamentary group supported the draft decision, highlighting the urgency of obtaining the funds, which had been in negotiation for eight months. Vassilev added that the plan, initially passed with flaws a year ago, was essential to secure over 500 million euros for the Bulgarian energy industry, specifically the miners.

DPS's Yordan Tsonev attributed the disruption to pro-Russian and Eurosceptic interests, particularly targeting the "Revival" party, which he accused of deliberately undermining Bulgaria’s EU membership. He further criticized "We Continue the Change-Democratic Bulgaria" for complicating the process of accessing EU funds, placing the blame on Asen Vassilev for setting stringent conditions in the recovery plan.

Delyan Dobrev from GERB warned that Bulgaria had lost over 2 billion leva in European funds due to the parliament's failure to pass the amendments before the September 30 deadline. He emphasized that negotiations with trade union leaders had taken place earlier in the day, outlining a proposal to allocate 500 million leva for the restoration and reclamation of mine sites. Temenuzhka Petkova, deputy chair of the GERB parliamentary group, noted that the loss of EU funds meant the Bulgarian government would now need to provide this money from the national budget.

In response, "Revival" party member Iskra Mihailova defended their actions, stating they had taken necessary measures to prevent what they saw as harmful decisions for Bulgaria's coal energy industry and the Maritsa Iztok complex. With the election campaign starting on September 27, parliament has adjourned, though extraordinary sessions may be convened during the recess.