The National Assembly () is the unicameral parliament and legislative body of Bulgaria.
History
The Bulgarian National Assembly was established in 1879 with the Tarnovo Constitution. From 1881 to 1883, under the Regime of Full Powers of Prince Alexander I, it was replaced by an appointed State Council of Bulgaria. The unicameral legislature provided by the Tarnovo Constitution, while favored by the historical liberals, drew the ire of the conservatives who proposed to replace it with a bicameral parliament.
During the communist period between 1946 and 1989, the National Assembly was characterized as a rubber stamp for the Bulgarian Communist Party (BKP) or as only being able to affect issues of low sensitivity and salience to the Bulgarian communist regime. The BCP controlled nomination and election processes at every level in its political system, allowing it to stamp out any opposition. As a legacy of the communist-era system of government, where the National Assembly was constitutionally defined as the supreme organ of state power and only branch of government, government ministers are formally appointed and dismissed by the Assembly on prime ministerial advice (rather than the President on prime ministerial advice, as in other parliamentary systems) even after the transition to democracy.
Elections
Three types of candidates participate in the elections: parties, coalitions and independent candidates. Every citizen who has the right to vote can do so for one candidate. The ratio of the number of valid votes for the candidate relative to the total number of valid votes gives the candidate the support of voters. The Central Election Commission is the institution responsible for all elections in the country.
The National Assembly is composed of parliamentary groups and independent members, with parliamentary groups representing a political party, and they, in turn, represent their voters.
Since constitutional changes enacted in 2023, the constitution now states that a dissolved parliament continues to function until the new tenure of the National Assembly is constituted (previously, once a parliament was dissolved the deputies automatically lost their mandates, and the National Assembly could not convene).
Ordinary National Assembly
By the Constitution (Art. 62 to 91), The National Assembly consists of 240 members elected for a four-year term, elected by proportional representation in multi-seat constituencies. Political parties must garner a minimum of 4% of the national vote in order to enter the Assembly. Bulgaria has a multi-party system. In order to be eligible as an MP, one must be a Bulgarian citizen over the age of 21 years who is neither interdicted nor is serving a custodial sentence. Bulgarian citizens with dual nationality must be resident in Bulgaria during the last eighteen months before their election; this residency requirement does not apply to Bulgarian citizens without dual nationality.
The National Assembly is responsible for enactment of laws, approval of the state budget, scheduling of presidential elections, selection and dismissal of the Prime Minister and other ministers, declaration of war, concluding peace and deployment of troops outside Bulgaria, declares a state of war or other state of emergency on the proposal of the President or the Cabinet, grants amnesty, and ratification of international treaties and agreements. It is headed and presided by the Chairperson of the National Assembly of Bulgaria.
The Assembly administers the publication of the State Gazette, Bulgaria's gazette of record.
Procedure
The National Assembly is inaugurated by the eldest attending elected member of Parliament. On the first day of sitting, they preside over the election of the Speaker (Chairperson) and Deputy speakers, form the parliamentary groups, and appoint the secretaries of the Assembly.
Once elected, the Speakers retain their party allegiances, which means that they remain as MPs and are allowed to take part in debates and voting.
More than 121 MPs must be present in order for any session to commence, and 50%+1 of those present must vote "for" any point of order or bill to be approved, unless the specific matter of the vote requires another majority.
Parliament sits Wednesday to Friday, and sessions begin at 9 am. Parliamentary committees sit in the afternoons.
Electing a government
In order to elect a government, the National Assembly must have formed the parliamentary groups and have secured a majority. The President of the Republic calls to consultations for electing a government the parliamentary groups. Per article 99 of the Constitution, the President gives out the first mandate to the candidate for a Prime Minister of the largest parliamentary group in order to elect a government. If after 7 days, the candidate fails to propose a government, the second mandate goes to the PM candidate of the second largest parliamentary group. If the second mandate fails as well, the President gives out the third and last mandate to the candidate of one of the other parliamentary groups. If the mandate is delivered, the President signs it and proposes to the National Assembly to elect that government. In order for the government to be elected, there need to be present more than 121 votes "for".
Ministers may be chosen from among the MPs, or they may be experts outside Parliament. All MPs picked to be Cabinet ministers lose their MP status, and the next candidate from the party list of the constituency takes his place.
Layout
Old Parliament House
In 2020 and 2021, the old Parliament House was only used for special occasions, such as the opening and closing of the legislative session or the inauguration of a new president.
Largo Parliament House
Located in the former Bulgarian Communist Party headquarters building in the Largo, The Chamber is made up of 270 seats arranged in a hemicycle of twelve rows, all facing the 7-seat speaker's bench. In front of the Speaker, also facing the chamber, is the pulpit containing a stenographer's desk at the center and two sections reserved for the Cabinet, each with 13 seats, at the sides.
The new plenary hall, which is located under a glass roof, is larger than the old one and can be easily remodeled to fit the 400-member Grand National Assembly. After the April 2021 Bulgarian parliamentary election, the National Assembly moved again to the old Parliament House because ITN, Democratic Bulgaria, ISMV, and DPS viewed the Party House building as a symbol of Bulgaria's communist past.
List of National Assemblies
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Parliament
! Term
! Term length (days)
! Seats
|-
|Constituent National Assembly || – || || 231
|-
|1st Grand National Assembly || – || || 231
|-
|1st Ordinary National Assembly of Bulgaria || – || || 158
|-
|2nd Ordinary National Assembly of Bulgaria || – || || 172
|-
|2nd Grand National Assembly of Bulgaria || || || 307
|-
|3rd Ordinary National Assembly of Bulgaria|| – || || 47
|-
|4th Ordinary National Assembly of Bulgaria|| – || || 195/286
|-
|3rd Grand National Assembly of Bulgaria|| – || || 493
|-
|5th Ordinary National Assembly of Bulgaria|| – || || 285
|-
|6th Ordinary National Assembly of Bulgaria|| – || || 276
|-
|4th Grand National Assembly of Bulgaria|| – || || 577
|-
|7th Ordinary National Assembly of Bulgaria|| – || || 145
|-
|8th Ordinary National Assembly of Bulgaria|| – || || 149
|-
|9th Ordinary National Assembly of Bulgaria|| – || || 159
|-
|10th Ordinary National Assembly of Bulgaria || – || || 169
|-
|11th Ordinary National Assembly of Bulgaria || – || || 166
|-
|12th Ordinary National Assembly of Bulgaria || – || || 188
|-
|13th Ordinary National Assembly of Bulgaria || – || || 189
|-
|14th Ordinary National Assembly of Bulgaria || – || || 203
|-
|5th Grand National Assembly of Bulgaria || – || || 414
|-
|15th Ordinary National Assembly of Bulgaria || – || || 213
|-
|16th Ordinary National Assembly of Bulgaria || – || || 204
|-
|17th Ordinary National Assembly of Bulgaria || – || || 257
|-
|18th Ordinary National Assembly of Bulgaria || – || || 237
|-
|19th Ordinary National Assembly of Bulgaria || – || || 232
|-
|20th Ordinary National Assembly of Bulgaria || – || || 245
|-
|21st Ordinary National Assembly of Bulgaria|| – || || 267
|-
|22nd Ordinary National Assembly of Bulgaria|| – || || 275
|-
|23rd Ordinary National Assembly of Bulgaria|| – || || 283
|-
|24th Ordinary National Assembly of Bulgaria|| – || || 160
|-
|25th Ordinary National Assembly of Bulgaria|| – || || 160
|-
|26th Ordinary National Assembly of Bulgaria|| – || || 276
|-
|6th Grand National Assembly of Bulgaria|| – || || 465(375)
|-
|1st National Assembly of Bulgaria || – || || 239
|-
|2nd National Assembly of Bulgaria || – || || 249
|-
|3rd National Assembly of Bulgaria || – || || 254
|-
|4th National Assembly of Bulgaria || – || || 321
|-
|5th National Assembly of Bulgaria|| – || || 416
|-
|6th National Assembly of Bulgaria|| – || || 400
|-
|7th National Assembly of Bulgaria|| – || || 400
|-
|8th National Assembly || – || || 400
|-
|9th National Assembly || – || || 400
|-
|7th Grand National Assembly of Bulgaria|| – || || 400
|-
|36th National Assembly|| – || || 240
|-
|37th National Assembly|| – || || 240
|-
|38th National Assembly|| – || || 240
|-
|39th National Assembly|| – || || 240
|-
|40th National Assembly|| – || || 240
|-
|41st National Assembly|| – || || 240
|-
|42nd National Assembly|| – || || 240
|-
|43rd National Assembly|| – || || 240
|-
|44th National Assembly|| – || || 240
|-
|45th National Assembly|| – || || 240
|-
|46th National Assembly|| – || || 240
|-
|47th National Assembly|| – || ||240
|-
|48th National Assembly|| – || ||240
|-
|49th National Assembly|| – || ||240
|-
|50th National Assembly|| – || ||240
|-
|51st National Assembly|| – 29 April 2026|| 535|| 240
|-
|52nd National Assembly
|30 April 2026 –
|
|240
|}
Historical composition of the National Assembly
1990–2005
{| class="wikitable" width="100%" style="border:solid #000000 1px;font-size:95%;"
|-
| colspan="2" |
{| width="100%" style="font-size:90%;"
| width="40" |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|}
|Total seats
|-
| width="40" | 1990
|
{| style="width:100%; text-align:center; font-weight:bold; color:white;"
| style="background-color: ; color: #; width: 52.75%"|211
| style="background-color: ; color: #; width: 5.75%"|23
| style="background-color: ; color: #; width: 4%"| 16
| style="background-color: ; color: #; width: 36%"|144
| style="background-color: #808080; color: #; width: 1.5%"|6
|}
|400
|-
| width="40" | 1991
|
{| style="width:100%; text-align:center; font-weight:bold; color:white;"
| style="background-color: ; color: #; width: 44.2%"|106
| style="background-color: ; color: #; width: 10%"|24
| style="background-color: ; color: #; width: 45.8%"|110
|}
|240
|-
| width="40" | 1994
|
{| style="width:100%; text-align:center; font-weight:bold; color:white;"
| style="background-color: ; color: #; width: 52.1%"|125
| style="background-color: ; color: #; width: 6.25%"|15
| style="background-color: ; color: #; width: 7.5%"| 18
| style="background-color: ; color: #; width: 28.75%"|69
| style="background-color: ; color: #; width: 5.4%"| 13
|}
|240
|-
| width="40" | 1997
|
{| style="width:100%; text-align:center; font-weight:bold; color:white;"
| style="background-color: ; color: #; width: 24.2%"|58
| style="background-color: ; color: #; width: 7.9%"|19
| style="background-color: ; color: #; width: 57.1%"|137
| style="background-color: ; color: #; width: 5%"| 12
| style="background-color: #808080; color: #; width: 5.8%"| 14
|}
|240
|-
| width="40" | 2001
|
{| style="width:100%; text-align:center; font-weight:bold; color:white;"
| style="background-color: ; color: #; width: 20%"|48
| style="background-color: ; color: #; width: 8.75%"|21
| style="background-color: ; color: #; width: 50%"|120
| style="background-color: ; color: #; width: 21.25%"|51
|}
|240
|-
| width="40" | 2005
|
{| style="width:100%; text-align:center; font-weight:bold; color:white;"
| style="background-color: ; color: #; width: 34.2%"|82
| style="background-color: ; color: #; width: 14.2%"|34
| style="background-color: ; color: #; width: 22.1%"|53
| style="background-color: ; color: #; width: 8.3%"|20
| style="background-color: ; color: #; width: 7.1%"|17
| style="background-color: ; color: #; width: 8.7%"|21
| style="background-color: #808080; color: #; width: 5.4%"|13
|}
|240
|}
2009–2017
{| class="wikitable" width="100%" style="border:solid #000000 1px;font-size:95%;"
|-
| colspan="2" |
{| width="100%" style="font-size:90%;"
| width="40" |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|}
|Total seats
|-
| width="40" | 2009
|
{| style="width:100%; text-align:center; font-weight:bold; color:white;"
| style="background-color: ; color: #; width: 16.7%"|40
| style="background-color: ; color: #; width: 15.8%"|38
| style="background-color: ; color: #; width: 6.3%"|15
| style="background-color: ; color: #; width: 48.3%"|116
| style="background-color: ; color: #; width: 8.7%"|21
| style="background-color: #808080; color: #; width: 4.2%"|10
|}
|240
|-
| width="40" | 2013
|
{| style="width:100%; text-align:center; font-weight:bold; color:white;"
| style="background-color: ; color: #; width: 35%"|84
| style="background-color: ; color: #; width: 15%"|36
| style="background-color: ; color: #; width: 40.4%"|97
| style="background-color: ; color: #; width: 9.6%"|23
|}
|240
|-
| width="40" | 2014
|
{| style="width:100%; text-align:center; font-weight:bold; color:white;"
| style="background-color: ; color: #; width: 16.3%"|39
| style="background-color: ; color: #; width: 15.8%"|38
| style="background-color: ; color: #; width: 9.6%"|23
| style="background-color: ; color: #; width: 35%"|84
| style="background-color: ; color: #; width: 7.9%"|19
| style="background-color: ; color: #; width: 4.6%"|11
| style="background-color: #808080; color: #; width: 10.8%"|26
|}
|240
|-
| width="40" | 2017
|
{| style="width:100%; text-align:center; font-weight:bold; color:white;"
| style="background-color: ; color: #; width: 33.3%"|80
| style="background-color: ; color: #; width: 10.9%"|26
| style="background-color: ; color: #; width: 39.6%"|95
| style="background-color: ; color: #; width: 11.3%"|27
| style="background-color: #808080; color: #; width: 5%"|12
|}
|240
|}
2021–2024
{| class="wikitable" width="100%" style="border:solid #000000 1px;font-size:95%;"
|-
| colspan="2" |
{| width="100%" style="font-size:90%;"
| width="40" |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|}
|Total seats
|-
| width="40" | April 2021
|
{| style="width:100%; text-align:center; font-weight:bold; color:white;"
| style="background-color: ; color: #; width: 4.65%"|14
| style="background-color: ; color: #; width: 14.79%"|43
| style="background-color: ; color: #; width: 10.36%"|30
| style="background-color: ; color: #; width: 9.31%"|27
| style="background-color: ; color: #; width: 25.80%"|75
| style="background-color: ; color: #; width: 17.40%"|51
|}
|240
|-
| width="40" | July 2021
|
{| style="width:100%; text-align:center; font-weight:bold; color:white;"
| style="background-color: ; color: #; width: 4.95%"|13
| style="background-color: ; color: #; width: 13.22%"|36
| style="background-color: ; color: #; width: 10.57%"|29
| style="background-color: ; color: #; width: 12.48%"|34
| style="background-color: ; color: #; width: 23.21%"|63
| style="background-color: ; color: #; width: 23.78%"|65
|}
|240
|-
| width="40" | November 2021
|
{| style="width:100%; text-align:center; font-weight:bold; color:white;"
| style="background-color: ; color: #; width: 10.07%"|26
| style="background-color: ; color: #; width: 12.83%"|34
| style="background-color: ; color: #; width: 25.32%"|67
| style="background-color: ; color: #; width: 6.28%"|16
| style="background-color: ; color: #; width: 22.44%"|59
| style="background-color: ; color: #; width: 9.39%"|25
| style="background-color: ; color: #; width: 4.80%"|13
|}
|240
|-
| width="40" | 2022
|
{| style="width:100%; text-align:center; font-weight:bold; color:white;"
| style="background-color: ; color: #; width: 8.98%"|25
| style="background-color: ; color: #; width: 13.29%"|36
| style="background-color: ; color: #; width: 19.52%"|53
| style="background-color: ; color: #; width: 7.19%"|20
| style="background-color: ; color: #; width: 24.48%"|67
| style="background-color: ; color: #; width: 9.83%"|27
| style="background-color: #808080; color: #; width: 4.47%"|12
|}
|240
|-
| width="40" | 2023
|
{| style="width:100%; text-align:center; font-weight:bold; color:white;"
| style="background-color: ; color: #; width: 8.56%"|23
| style="background-color: ; color: #; width: 13.18%"|36
| style="background-color: ; color: #; width: 23.54%"|64
| style="background-color: ; color: #; width: 25.39%"|69
| style="background-color: ; color: #; width: 3.94%"|11
| style="background-color: ; color: #; width: 13.58%"|37
|}
|240
|-
| width="40" | June 2024
|
{| style="width:100%; text-align:center; font-weight:bold; color:white;"
| style="background-color: ; color: #; width: 6.85%"|19
| style="background-color: ; color: #; width: 16.56%"|47
| style="background-color: ; color: #; width: 13.92%"|39
| style="background-color: ; color: #; width: 23.99%"|68
| style="background-color: ; color: #; width: 5.79%"|16
| style="background-color: ; color: #; width: 13.38%"|38
| style="background-color: #808080; color: #; width: 4.52%"|13
|}
|240
|-
| width="40" | October 2024
|
{| style="width:100%; text-align:center; font-weight:bold; color:white;"
| style="background-color: ; color: #; width: 7.32%"|19
| style="background-color: ; color: #; width: 11.17%"|29
| style="background-color: ; color: #; width: 7.23%"|19
| style="background-color: ; color: #; width: 13.74%"|36
| style="background-color: ; color: #; width: 25.52%"|66
| style="background-color: ; color: #; width: 6.56%"|17
| style="background-color: ; color: #; width: 12.92%"|33
| style="background-color: #808080; color: #; width: 4.44%"|21
|}
|240
|}
Since 2026
{| class="wikitable" width="100%" style="border:solid #000000 1px;font-size:95%;"
|-
| colspan="2" |
{| width="100%" style="font-size:90%;"
| width="40" |
|
|
|
|
|
|}
|Total seats
|-
| width="40" | 2026
|
{| style="width:100%; text-align:center; font-weight:bold; color:white;"
| style="background-color: ; color: #; width: 54.58%"|131
| style="background-color: ; color: #; width: 8.75%"|21
| style="background-color: ; color: #; width: 15.4%"|37
| style="background-color: ; color: #; width: 16.25%"|39
| style="background-color: ; color: #; width: 5%"|12
|}
|240
|}
See also
- Chairperson of the National Assembly of Bulgaria
- Politics of Bulgaria
- List of legislatures by country
Notes
External links
- Bulgaria The National Assembly
- Historical photographs of the National Assembly