Balgarianovinite.com MPs are discussing at second reading amendments to the Election Code, tabled by Vazrazhdane, which limit the number of polling stations outside diplomatic and consular missions in non-EU countries to 20.
Nadezhda Yordanova of Continue the Change-Democratic Bulgaria (CC-DB) said that this restricts the right of Bulgarian citizens outside the EU to exercise their right to vote, with the sole purpose of punishing those Bulgarian citizens who did not support MRF-New Beginning in previous elections and withdrew their support from There Is Such a People (TISP). “You did not justify why it should be 20. Borisov said: ‘I promised,’” she noted, asking to whom and at what cost.
Dragomir Stoynev of BSP-United Left said that the United Kingdom conducts elections abroad only at its embassies and consulates because it is normal to have greater control. He quoted fellow MPs who said that there is no way to fund the elections of someone who lives abroad and does not pay taxes in the country, “Do you agree that we should pay for the elections of someone who does not pay taxes here?” Stoynev asked.
He noted that this is not removing the right of Bulgarian citizens outside the EU to vote. According to him, they can go to the relevant embassy or consulate or take a plane and come to their homeland.
Martin Dimitrov of CC-DB said that Yordanova asks questions to GERB, but BSP answers her. “Bulgarians abroad send huge amounts of money to Bulgaria, which also translates into paid taxes and investments,” Dimitrov noted.
“I cannot accept that a representative of the Socialist Party would pit Bulgarian citizens against others,” Nadezhda Yordanova replied to Dragomir Stoynev. “Wasn’t BSP the party that supported the Constitution, which states that Bulgarian citizens should have equal rights regardless of where they are?” she asked. Yordanova noted that just in 2024, the contribution of Bulgarians living abroad amounted to EUR 3 billion.
Taner Ali from the Alliance for Rights and Freedoms warned that if the restriction on the number of polling stations abroad is voted through, they will challenge it before the Constitutional Court, all European institutions, the OSCE, and the Venice Commission. He called for the Constitution of Bulgaria not to be violated.
In response, Petar Petrov of Vazrazhdane recalled a 2021 statement by then Interior Minister Boyko Rashkov, who accused Turkish authorities of interfering in Bulgarian elections in favor of MRF. “In just ten months, we will again face presidential elections, which could coincide with parliamentary ones, and from Vazrazhdane we will not allow 90,000 votes for the Movement for Rights and Freedoms again,” he said.
A proposal by Nadezhda Yordanova for trial remote voting was not allowed for consideration, because it falls outside the scope of the bill adopted at first reading.
“The restriction of Bulgarian citizens’ rights to vote outside the EU must be compensated in some way, and our proposal is that this be through remote electronic voting,” said Bozhidar Bozhanov of CC-DB.
Hristo Gadzhev of GERB-UDF said that electronic voting exists in only one country in the world, Estonia, and the level of digitalization there is different from that in any country in the EU, or the world. He said that in the United Kingdom there is postal voting but questioned whether this would ensure the integrity of the vote. According to him, there is also delegated voting there, one person votes for the entire family. “Would this be appropriate for the Bulgarian situation?” he asked. Gadzhev emphasized that GERB has supported limiting the number of polling stations for 10 years. Parliament Debates at Second Reading Restriction of Number of Polling Stations in Non-EU Counties 2026 THE NEWS FROM BULGARIA – NEWS AGENCY 2009-2025 2026-02-05 11:49:00 Latest news World news Country news Most important news latest news most important latest of the day Justice Petar Nizamov Feathers Petar Nizamov- Feathers Justice bg iustitia.bg iustitia iusticia usticia investigation Burgas Bulgaria news news of the last hour news of the day news of today Bulgaria news The news from Bulgaria blitz news top news most important most commented latest news Boyko Borisov news weather coronavirus news news weather facebook youtube facebook instagram news today news of the last minutes news today today news news bg news leading news hot news bg news site for news all news news bg news of the last hour latest latest news bg news of today news today news today news of the last hour latest news today news bg news news 24 hours news vesti bg novini news world bird bg bivol bg bivol trud bg novini latest news today novinite bg news hello bulgaria political party coat of arms delyan peevski scandalous Bulgarian National Television Free Europe Television scandal exclusive live tv live right now tv tv online tv program bg live now tv news online tv online live court Burgas court Burgas district court Burgas court Burgas district court Burgas district court Burgas appellate court Burgas prosecutor Burgas prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Prosecutor General Ivan Geshev Prosecutor Geshev Tsatsarov Ministry of Internal Affairs Burgas ODMR Burgas ODPR Burgas police Burgas district police Burgas prosecutor Tsatsarov SGS cases Varna court chairman of the SGS court decisions on civil cases decisions on cases Plovdiv court decision of the court decisions cases Varna court criminal cases district district court decisions work in the court SGS chairman of the SGS judges Sofia court post judges Plovdiv court Plovdiv judges Plovdiv Supreme Court Inspectorate Supreme Court Supreme Judicial Council lawyer lawyer criminal cases lawyer civil cases lawyer marriage cases lawyer administrative criminal law criminal process civil law civil process administrative law constitutional law