My efforts will be on December 31, so that the Budget Law can be adopted. This is what the Speaker of the National Assembly Nataliya Kiselova said in response to a question from journalists at her first public event after being elected to the post, quoted by BTA.
According to her, a budget may be adopted by the end of the year, as the head of state Rumen Radev called for. "He said he expects us to make an effort and this is also a conversation we will have with colleagues from the parliamentary groups – whether to have extraordinary meetings or to work between Christmas and New Year", Kiselova pointed out. “My efforts will be in both directions, so that on December 31 there will be an adopted Budget Law”, she added.
Regarding her first steps as speaker of parliament, Kiselova said she met with colleagues in the administration and told them she was counting on their help, and then spoke to the head of state to inform him that they constituted parliamentary groups.
There are several important things coming up in the coming days – At the Presidential Council, we will specify what the next steps of the National Assembly will be, apart from possible changes in the rules, because there is a desire for changes in some provisions, and to make efforts to constitute the commissions, Kiselova pointed out. Whether there will be only two, four or all committees, this will be decided at a presidential council and will be discussed, she added.
Our understanding is that the bills and the law on the budget and small budgets should be moved as calmly as possible, said the Speaker of the National Assembly.
Regarding the possibility of changes to the Electoral Code by the New Year, Kiselova said that they should not focus on more than one or two tasks, and one task is certainly the budget.
When asked if she is not worried that if the budget is opened and there is no political stability, there are risks as to what exactly will be adopted, Kiselova replied that this should worry all Bulgarian citizens because „the budget is not a blanket , on which everyone should put a patch“.
Regarding legislative initiatives related to the suspension of the procedure for the election of Borislav Sarafov as the chief prosecutor, Kiselova said that there are two bills and this is already a matter that will be discussed in the Committee on Legal Affairs, after being constituted.
When asked if she is ready to become acting prime minister, Kiselova answered: “I am not running away from responsibility”.
The Speaker of the 51st National Assembly Natalia Kiselova presents her new book “The Living Constitution” in “Cultural Salon ABV“ in the headquarters of the ABV party, part of the "BSP-United Left" coalition. She explained that she accepted the invitation to the event before the outcome of the election of the Speaker of the Parliament became clear and the commitments must be respected.
Before the presentation of her book, Kiselova congratulated the students and teachers on their December 8 holiday. The Speaker of the Parliament, who is also a university lecturer, commented that one position is temporary and the other is a part of life. Natalia Kiselova wished the students health, to have fun, but not to forget that they are the future of Bulgaria, and the teachers – to be strict, but fair, because it depends on them to take a step forward.