Bulgaria’s Fragile Coalition Tests Power-Sharing With New Parliamentary Rotation
Jerusalem, 29 October, 2025 (TPS-IL) -- Sofia (BTA) – Nataliya Kiselova of BSP–United Left resigned on Wednesday as Chair of Bulgaria’s National Assembly. Speaking before Parliament, Kiselova emphasized her decision was guided by “a sense of duty and responsibility toward parliamentary practice under conditions of shared governance.” Kiselova was elected to lead the Bulgarian Parliament in the eleventh attempt on December 6, 2024.
Following her resignation, Parliament quickly moved to elect a new Chair under the coalition’s rotation agreement. Raya Nazaryan, nominated by GERB–UDF, was elected to lead the 51st National Assembly with 129 votes in favor, 77 against, and 14 abstentions.
Kiselova’s resignation and Nazaryan’s election highlight the fragile power-sharing dynamics in Bulgaria’s current Parliament, underscoring both the coalition’s internal agreements and ongoing opposition discontent.
Nazaryan’s candidacy was supported by GERB–UDF, MRF–New Beginning, BSP–United Left, There Is Such a People, and four independent MPs. Nazaryan chaired the previous parliament and was GERB-UDF’s nominee for the post in the present National Assembly, which held its inaugural sitting on November 11, 2024.
Opposition parties, including Continue the Change–Democratic Bulgaria (CC–DB), Vazrazhdane, and several smaller factions, voted against the election, while CC–DB partially abstained. Vazrazhdane’s nominee, Tsoncho Ganev, received only four votes.
On Tuesday, the government coalition of GERB-UDF, BSP-United Left and There Is Such (TISP) a People decided that Nazaryan will replace Kiselova as Chair of the National Assembly. The Joint Governance Council of the three-party coalition decided earlier on Tuesday to introduce rotational chairmanship of parliament. GERB said on Facebook that the rotation will take place every ten months.
On October 26, the National Council of the Bulgarian Socialist Party (BSP) approved a proposal for a rotational chairmanship of the National Assembly, party leader and Deputy Prime Minister Atanas Zafirov announced. The decision was supported by 100 members, with three abstentions and two votes against.
On October 21, after a meeting of the Joint Governance Council, it became known that GERB and TISP had raised the issue of introducing a rotating parliamentary chairmanship.
