site.btaUPDATED Political Forces Fail to Agree to Invite President Zelenskyy for Video Address to New Bulgarian Legislature

Political forces represented in the new Bulgarian Parliament failed to agree on inviting Ukrainian President Volodimir Zelenskyy to make a video address at their opening sitting on October 19. Attending were representatives of GERB-UDF, who made the proposal, Democratic Bulgaria (DB), Continue the Change and the Movement for Rights and Freedoms (MRF).

No representatives of BSP for Bulgaria, Bulgarian Rise and Vazrazhdane were seen going into the parliament building on time for the meeting.

"Unfortunately, no decision was made to invite the President of Ukraine to make a video address on [Parliament's] first day but we decided unanimously to discuss the possibility at the first meeting of the parliamentary presiding body," said Ekaterina Zaharieva of GERB, who is a former foreign minister.

MRF's Sezgin Mehmed MP commented for the press that his party has been consistent in its support for the idea to invite the Ukrainian President to make a video address. Mehmed added that the MRF is pleased with the firm Euro-Atlantic majority here.

Nadezhda Yordanova of Democratic Bulgaria reiterated that her coalition is moving a draft resolution on military aid for Ukraine on the first work day of the new Parliament. She said they are also moving a package of 25 measures in several bills and draft resolutions in a variety of fields, that aim to solve the problems of Bulgarian people.

Daniel Mitov MP of GERB-UDF said that the talks were are an attempt to "wash away the shame of the previous government's inadequacy". According to Mitov, Zelenskyy should have been invited a long time ago, but the ruling parties at the time refused to act. He stated that the BSP's refusal to approach the subject can be explained with them following the Kremlin narrative and a pro-Russian policy.

BSP leader Korneliya Ninova had said in a Facebook post that her party were not going to attend. She pointed out that the Socialists had invited all parliamentary parties to meet next Monday to discuss economic matters, including the 2023 budget and economic assistance measures.

Bulgarian Rise issued a statement saying that the preparatory meetings ahead of the inaugural meeting of Parliament, are being politicized. "We should leave the discussion of all political matters to the plenary. The MPs will be taking the oath several days from now and after that they can officially hold debates and make decisions of national interest," the statement goes.