The Constitutional Court (CC) dismissed most of President Rumen Radev's questions regarding the returned request to hold a referendum on the introduction of the euro in 2026.
Yesterday, the Constitutional Court allowed only one of the questions raised by Radev to be considered. Thus, the Constitutional Court will interpret whether the Speaker of the National Assembly - Natalia Kiselova, exceeded her powers by refusing to submit for consideration in parliament the president's proposal to hold a national referendum with the question “Do you agree that Bulgaria should introduce the single European currency “euro“ in 2026?“
Assoc. Prof. Borislav Tsekov, lecturer in constitutional law and Petar Slavov, doctor of constitutional law.
„Even when submitting this request, the most likely outcome was a partial admission, and in the interpretative part. The Constitutional Court's ruling categorically rejected, and with the necessary arguments, the unfounded request to declare the act of the President of the National Assembly null and void. It is very clear that it will not be admitted, because which acts are subject to control for constitutionality is explicitly written in both the Constitution and the Law on the Constitutional Court, and they are indicated - in this case, in Art. 86, para. 1 of the Constitution“, explained Assoc. Prof. Borislav Tsekov.
This means that now the court will rule on whether the President can assess the requirements under which it is permissible to hold a national referendum, by rejecting proposals. If the Constitutional Court rules that it cannot, this “becomes part of the current constitutional order and in the future would probably lead to certain adjustments or improvements to the parliamentary rules“, added Assoc. Prof. Tsekov.
“This will have effect from the moment the decision is pronounced, which in any case will take at least several months. I would very much like to say that we have closed the topic of this unconstitutional referendum, but I do not have such a feeling“, said Dr. Petar Slavov.
“This does not mean that he (Rumen Radev – ed.) will not try to come up with something new in some other way, but I do not want to give ideas, although I have certain expectations“, he added.
And he warned: “One of my expectations is that he will try to exercise his constitutional initiative to amend the Constitution and propose an amendment in the direction that the president can independently schedule referendums. It is logical to expect that this will not be accepted, but the goal is to increase the escalation and prepare this political project, which is already being talked about everywhere“.