Bulgaria's Parliament Rejects Lev-Euro Referendum as Opposition Parties Escalate Calls for Protests

On Wednesday, Bulgaria’s National Assembly voted down a proposal by the "Greatness" party to hold a national referendum on whether the Bulgarian lev should remain the sole official currency until 2043. The motion failed with 65 votes in favor, 110 against, and 28 abstentions.

Support came from "Greatness", "Revival", Morality, Unity, Honor (MECH), and There Is Such a People (TISP). GERB opposed the initiative, with 52 MPs voting against and six abstaining. All members of We Continue the Change-Democratic Bulgaria (WCC-DB) and the Movement for Rights and Freedoms(DPS)-New Beginning rejected it. Within the BSP-United Left, 14 MPs abstained and two opposed, while the Alliance for Rights and Freedoms opted entirely for abstention.

The debate on the proposal was revived at "Greatness"’s request, after it had been left unfinished in July ahead of the parliamentary recess. Following the vote, "Revival" MPs walked out of the chamber. Party leader Kostadin Kostadinov accused Parliament of betraying democracy, declaring that “less than a third of MPs supported the will of the people,” while the rest “feared the citizens.” He argued that a large majority of Bulgarians opposed eurozone accession and demanded a referendum, but were being denied their right by what he described as “an oligarchic plutocracy that has usurped power.”

"Revival" MP Tsoncho Ganev said the majority was “trampling on the rights of 604,000 citizens” who signed the petition for a referendum. He warned lawmakers not to “hide from the people,” claiming past governments fell for the same reason.

TISP deputy leader Stanislav Balabanov said his group backed the referendum on principle but added the euro issue was settled, since Bulgaria was already set to join the eurozone on January 1, 2026.

This was not "Revival"’s first attempt. In April 2023, the party collected over 603,000 signatures in support of the initiative, though nearly 22% were deemed invalid. The 470,973 valid signatures were sufficient to require parliamentary consideration. That summer, MPs rejected the motion, citing constitutional restrictions on holding referendums over international treaties. "Revival" challenged the decision in the Constitutional Court, which dismissed the case in February 2024.

The proposal resurfaced in May 2025, alongside a similar initiative by President Rumen Radev, who urged MPs to call a referendum on the introduction of the euro. His request was rejected, and the Constitutional Court later dismissed his appeal.

"Greatness" Demands Parliament’s Dissolution

At the opening of the autumn session, "Greatness"’s leader Ivelin Mihaylov declared that his group would no longer participate in what he called a “circus.” He insisted the legislature should be dissolved, branding it “illegitimate” and claiming it was elected through the “most rigged elections in Bulgaria’s history.”

Mihaylov accused both ruling and opposition parties of collusion, arguing that every decision served only to “blind the public and steal money.” He drew a dramatic comparison with Romania in December 1989, when Nicolae Ceaușescu lost touch with reality shortly before his downfall. According to Mihaylov, Bulgaria now faced a similar disconnect between citizens and power.

He listed a series of grievances: poor water supply, struggling livestock farming, and vanishing jobs, arguing that laws in Bulgaria were routinely ignored by both the courts and executive authorities. Parliament, he said, had been staging a costly and hollow performance for the past 15–16 years.

MECH Warns of Political Collapse

Radostin Vassilev, leader of the MECH party, told MPs that Bulgaria was in “an unprecedented political crisis.” He accused the current coalition of GERB, DPS-New Beginning, BSP, and TISP of running the country through “plunder and corruption,” abandoning values and leaving the state in chaos.

Vassilev said the political battle was no longer between left and right, but between survival and “total destruction.” He called on citizens to reclaim the state, stressing that Bulgaria could only prosper under the rule of law. In his view, the government alliance of “national traitors” was doomed to collapse, as every corrupt system eventually did.

APS Pledges Oversight and Reform

The Alliance for Rights and Freedoms (APS) declared it would act as a “corrective force” in Parliament. Floor leader Hayri Sadakov said the party would push for justice, decentralization, and strong institutions, warning that Bulgaria was sinking into political stagnation and inequality.

He criticized the government’s policies as chaotic, citing failures in energy, finance, industry, and climate strategy, while pointing to growing poverty, inflation, and regional disparities. Sadakov stressed that municipalities were being kept hostage to central power and called for reforms in education, healthcare, taxation, and oversight of the Prosecutor General.

Sadakov concluded that Bulgaria needed to reaffirm its role in the EU, NATO, and the Balkans, but warned that corruption and blocked EU funds were eroding both democracy and prosperity.

"Revival" Plans Protest, Rejects Parliament

"Revival" leader Kostadin Kostadinov announced a large anti-government protest for September 13, pledging continuous demonstrations to topple what he called a “criminal cabinet.” Speaking after the session’s opening, he warned of a “clash between the people and the mafia” and said Bulgaria was in total collapse.

Kostadinov further declared that his party would skip most parliamentary activity and spend “another month among the people,” attending only for votes of no confidence or key legislative matters. He argued their work outside Parliament was “a thousand times more useful.”

In his address, Kostadinov painted a bleak picture: Bulgarian products disappearing from markets, deteriorating roads, mass emigration, and dependence on imported waste. He warned of an impending water crisis, citing data that 86% of the country’s water pipes required immediate replacement. He accused the government of turning Bulgaria into “GERBland,” ruled by mafioso elites while ordinary citizens suffered.