Directorate-General for the Presidency Directorate for Relations with National Parliaments

Factsheet: The Bulgarian National Assembly

1. At a glance

The Republic of is a parliamentary democracy. The Bulgarian Parliament (National Assembly or Narodno sabranie) is a unicameral body, which consists of 240 deputies elected directly by the voters from 32 constituencies to four-year terms, on the basis of the proportional system. Political parties must gather a minimum of 4% of the national vote in order to enter the Assembly.

The National Assembly has three basic functions: legislative, control and constitutive. The major function of the National Assembly is to legislate by adopting, amending and rescinding laws. The control function of the National Assembly is to exercise oversight of the executive. The MPs contribute to effective work of the government and state administration by addressing questions and interpellations, and by requiring reports. The constitutive function of the National Assembly is to elect, on a motion from the Prime Minister, the members of the Council of Ministers, the President and members of the National Audit Office, the Governor of the Bulgarian National Bank and his/her Deputies, and the heads of other institutions established by a law.

The current minority coalition government under Premier Minister (GERB/EPP), sworn in on 7 November 2014, is composed of the conservative GERB party (EPP) and the centre- right Reformist Bloc (RB/EPP), with the support of nationalist Patriotic Front coalition (PF/ECR) and the centre-left ABV (non-affiliated).

2. Composition

Results of the elections of 5 October 2014 Party EP affiliation % Seats GERB Citizens for European Development of Bulgaria 32,7 84

Bulgarska sotsialisticheska partiya (BSP) Bulgarian Socialist Party - Leftist Bulgaria 15,4 39

Dvizhenie za prava i svobodi (DPS) Movement for Rights and Freedoms 14,8 38

Reformatorski blok (BAP, DBG, DSB, VVD, UDF) 23 Reformist Bloc (BAP, DBG, DSB, VVD, UDF) 8,9

Patriotic Front coalition (NFSB - VMRO) 19 7,3 Bulgaria Without Censorship party 5,7 15

ATAKA Party Not affiliated 4,5 11

Alternativa za balgarsko vazrazhdane (ABV) Not affiliated 4,1 11 Alternative for Bulgarian Revival 240 Turnout: 51,05% The next elections must take place in autumn 2018 at the latest.

3. Officeholders

President of the National Assembly Chairperson of the European Affairs and Oversight of the European Funds Committee

Ms Tsetska Tsacheva Dangovska Mr Svetlen Dimitrov Tanchev (GERB/EPP), (Bulgaria Without Censorship party/ECR), since 27 October 2014 since 27 November 2014

Secretary General of the Bulgarian Parliament: Mr Ivan Slavchov, since 6 November 2014

4. Relations with Members of the

Participation rights for Bulgarian MEPs Partially (MEPs may attend debates) in plenary sittings Participation rights for Bulgarian MEPs Partially (MEPs may attend debates) in committee meetings

Availability of videoconferencing system in No the Bulgarian Parliament

5. Information links

– Official website: http://www.parliament.bg – Rules of procedure in English – List of committees – Recent documents submitted by the Bulgarian Parliament to the Interparliamentary EU Information Exchange (IPEX) – European Parliament Information Office in

6. Contacts

Factsheet author and contact in the Contact of the Bulgarian Parliament: EP Directorate for Relations with National Parliaments:

Ms Jitka Polášková Mr Hristo Kraevski Office WIE 05U024, 1047 Brussels Office WIE 06U023 Phone +32 2 28 31056 Phone +32 2 28 48699 [email protected] [email protected]

Last updated on 18 May 2015. Photo credits: Bulgarian Parliament. http://www.europarl.europa.eu/relnatparl [email protected]