Today, the National Assembly entered the second, decisive phase of the debates on the general bill on bankruptcy of individuals, a text assembled by the legal committee on a mixture of nine previous proposals. From the rostrum, Tsveta Rangelova and Zlatan Zlatanov sharply criticized the result: according to them, the project sacrifices its social mission in favor of the banks, burdens debtors with unbearable costs and calls into question the very principle of “second chance“.
The two MPs of “Vazrazhdane“ pointed out that the introduced threshold of ten minimum wages excludes the most vulnerable, and the ranking of claims puts mortgage creditors and receivers far ahead of child support and public obligations. In this context, “Vazrazhdane“ insisted on a lower threshold, exemption of the socially disadvantaged from court fees and a fairer order for satisfying creditors, changes without which, Rangelova and Zlatanov warn, the law will remain a “laboratory model“, far from the real problems of nearly half a million Bulgarians with overdue debts.
Zlatan Zlatanov recalled from the parliamentary rostrum: “In the 50th National Assembly, we revised all the bills, sifting out the best and proposing ours. It was submitted on November 12, 2024, but the plenary hall rejected it as if it were not needed. And just a month later, almost identical bills followed - by the PP-DB on November 12, by the BSP on December 22, and by the Council of Ministers on December 30. Naturally, because they saw that “Vazrazhdane“ offered good and meaningful solutions, and you decided to use our proposals in some form.“
According to Zlatanov, the bill legitimizes a vicious model in favor of the powerful of the day - the banks, the bankruptcy trustees and the corporate elite, at the expense of ordinary people.
“We are the socially engaged party, unlike all the others. And you are introducing this law right now, when you are preparing to adopt the euro. In 2005, the Law on Private Enforcement Agents was adopted. In 2007, the new, old Civil Procedure Code. Just when Bulgaria became a member of the EU under unequal agreements that placed the Bulgarian citizen in a second-hand status.“
The People's Representative believes that the current bill continues this line of subordination, in which the social function of the state gives way to the interests of international capital and domestic cartel structures.
„After 18 years of sucking out the national capital by foreign currency pumps, cartels and mobile operators, we have come this far - a law on personal bankruptcy, which finally legitimizes the colonial status of the territory called Bulgaria.“
One of Zlatanov's most significant arguments was directed at the debt thresholds, which, according to him, deprive a large part of the most vulnerable Bulgarians of the right to initiate personal bankruptcy proceedings.
„The Council of Ministers proposes 6 months and 10 minimum wages. PP-DB - 12 months and 24 salaries. BSP - 5. We from Vazrajdane - 3 minimum wages. Why? Because the poverty line for 2025 is 638 leva, 21.3% higher than the previous year. 900,000 bad loans. Over 500,000 seized salaries. How do you expect a person from the deep countryside to save 10,000 leva?“
In the same spirit, he insisted on realistic provisions that would protect the right to family support.
„We proposed that the support should not be less than the minimum monthly amount determined by the NSI. The working group and the commission rejected it. Why? Because these people do not live in Bulgaria and do not know the reality in which 80% of the income goes to electricity, heating and food.“
Another of the proposals of “Vazrazhdane“ was categorically rejected – exemption from court fees for persons recognized as socially vulnerable.
“We proposed a reception of Art. 83, para. 2 of the Civil Procedure Code, so that fees and expenses are not paid by individuals recognized by the court as socially vulnerable. The court should take into account income, property, marital status, health status. And this was rejected.“
Zlatan Zlatanov did not hide his indignation at the way in which the state abandons its citizens and legitimizes an unjust social order through formal legislation.
„You want to make a legislative snitch with which to continue to keep the burden of debt on the neck of the Bulgarian taxpayer who pays your salaries. I exclude the representatives of the people from „Vazrazhdane“ - we know how to earn bread with bloody sweat on our foreheads.“