The Bulgarian Parliament withdrew to the President the authority to appoint the heads of security services
Rumen Radev, President of Bulgaria, at a conference on economic issues in Athens, Greece, July 2, 2024. Photo source: Nicolas Koutsokostas / Nurphoto / SH / Shutterstock Editorial / Profimedia
The Bulgarian Parliament has adopted the changes to the Law on the State Agency for National Security (Sans) in the first and second reading. According to the amendments, the president of the State Agency for National Security will be elected by the Parliament at the Government's proposal, instead of being appointed by presidential decree, notes BTA, according to news.ro.
The changes were presented by the deputies from Gerb-SDS, the Bulgarian Socialist Party and the Party there are such a people. 120 deputies voted in their favor, including members of DPS – a new beginning and former members of the Alliance for Rights and Freedoms. 67 deputies voted against and 2 deputies abstained.
The election by the Parliament of the presidents of the National Information Agency and the National Agency for Technical Operations was also approved in the first reading.
The opposition has expressed concern about political control over security services. Vazrazhdane and the coalition “We continue the change – Democratic Bulgaria” have declared unconstitutional amendments.
“Bulgarians should react, because this is a blow to democracy, with long -term negative consequences,” said Rumev President Radev and rejected the statements that he is preparing to set up his own political party.
Prior to the vote of October 2, the Coalition of Opposition Bulgaria Democratic, part of the second largest parliamentary group, we continue the change-Democratic Bulgaria, said that it will refrain from voting.
“We cannot in any case support the majority attempt to appoint Denyo Denev, Peevski's man,” said Bozhidar Bozhanov, the Co-Lider of Democratic Bulgaria.
Bozhanov said that the situation is identical to that of 2013, when “most of Peevski, who did not include Gerb at that time, chose Peevski as head of the State Agency for National Security. Now he (Peevski) changes the law in the same way and calls his man.”
Bozhanov said the changes are not in contradiction with the Constitution, but “the problem is balance”.
“In the past, Radev had, on the one hand, his own interim government, and on the other hand, with his signature as president, he named people who served his interests, but now there is no case. There are reasons for the balance to be maintained and for the Government to try to propose other people, because Denyo Denev is not the only one in this country,” said Bozhanov.
In a related evolution, the ruling coalition takes measures to modify the law of the National Security Service, to withdraw the head of state the right to use the vehicles of the National Protection Service.
The changes were proposed by Peevski's group, after, in August, Radev traveled to Varna with a convoy made up of seven security service cars.
Kalin Stoyanov, former Minister of Interior and current deputy of Peevski, attacked Radev at that time because he used the National Protection Service as a “taxi company”.
