Constitutional court rules that the National Assembly speaker has no right to decide unilaterally on a national referendum

The Speaker of the National Assembly has no right to rule unilaterally on a national referendum. This becomes clear from a decision of the Constitutional Court in relation to the refusal of former Parliament Speaker Natalia Kiselova to submit for consideration President Rumen Radev’s proposal for a referendum on whether Bulgaria should join the Eurozone on January 1, 2026.

''The National Assembly Speaker does not have the authority to assess the requirements established by law under which a national referendum is permissible, or to reject a proposal made by a body empowered by law. Under the Constitution, this authority belongs solely to the National Assembly'', the court’s decision states, as quoted by the BNR’s ''Horizont'' channel.

In June 2025, the Constitutional Court rejected most of the questions raised by President Rumen Radev in connection with his request for a referendum, allowing only an interpretation regarding the authority of the Parliament’s Speaker to rule on the matter.