Sofia – Bulgaria‘s path toward adopting the euro has hit a potential roadblock as parliament will now consider a national referendum on the country’s entry into the eurozone, reversing a previous decision to dismiss the proposal [[1]], [[2]]. The move follows a recent Constitutional Court ruling clarifying the parliamentary speaker’s authority regarding referendum requests and comes as Bulgaria prepares for its first budget delivered in euros on January 1st [[2]]. The debate over adopting the euro is notably sensitive as the country together navigates budget turmoil and widespread protests [[1]], [[3]].
Bulgaria’s parliament will now review a petition for a national referendum on adopting the euro, a move that reverses a previous decision and potentially reignites debate over the country’s path toward European monetary union.
Parliamentary Speaker Raya Nazaryan ordered the referendum proposal to be sent to several committees for consideration on November 28, according to reports. This decision comes after a ruling from the Constitutional Court earlier this year clarified the speaker’s authority regarding national referendums.
The shift marks a departure from the approach taken by Nazaryan’s predecessor, Natalia Kisellova, who had rejected the referendum request as unconstitutional and refused to allow it to be debated. Some observers have pointed to that decision as a factor in Kisellova’s subsequent removal from her post.
President Rumen Radev had appealed to the Constitutional Court, which ruled that the parliamentary speaker does not have the sole authority to dismiss a national referendum request. The court’s decision focused specifically on the speaker’s power to reject the proposal, without addressing the merits of the referendum itself.
While the court’s ruling applies generally to parliamentary speakers, Radev has argued it has retroactive effect, requiring the current parliament to address the referendum request. Previously, governing parties had maintained that the request was effectively nullified when it was left unaddressed in May, stating that “the procedure…had been completed and there was no proposal to be considered by the National Assembly.”
