The Constitutional Court has ruled on a case concerning the results of the October 2024 parliamentary elections, declaring the election of 16 MPs illegal. This caused new political turbulence and raised the question of possible investigations and criminal proceedings.
Constitutional Court chairwoman Pavlina Panova said a copy of the decision had been sent to all parties concerned, including acting prosecutor general Borislav Sarafov.
“The letter to him is in view of the existence of evidence of a crime. From now on, the Supreme Cassation Prosecutor’s Office (SCP) has to decide whether and what investigation it will undertake”, Panova explained. This means that the SCP will have a decisive role in determining the follow-up action – whether there will be criminal proceedings against persons responsible for the electoral violations, or whether the case will remain in the political sphere without legal consequences.
The Constitutional Court’s decision directly affects several parliamentary groups, leading to significant changes in the composition of the National Assembly:
– MRF loses one MP.
– „Revival“ parted with two of its MPs.
– „We Continue Change-Democratic Bulgaria“ loses one MP.
– MEP is the most affected group, parting with three of its representatives.
– BSP-United Left is down by one MP.
– GERB-SDS also loses three MPs.
– “There is such a People” decreases by three deputies.
– DPS – New Beginnings also loses two of its representatives.
The question now is whether the prosecutor’s office will take action against persons linked to the electoral violations that led to the seats being declared illegal. If there are criminal investigations, this could lead to even more serious political turmoil. Henceforth, the National Assembly will have to make adjustments in its composition and the parties will look for ways to minimise the damage from the Constitutional Court ruling. At the same time, expectations are that this case may become the subject of serious debate and even political confrontation in parliament.
