After a heated three-hour debate filled with scandals, personal attacks, and verbal threats, Bulgaria’s National Assembly adopted a declaration condemning the systematic aggressive actions of the pro-Russian “Revival” party. The document, submitted by the WCC-DB parliamentary group, was approved with 132 votes in favor, 33 against, and 11 abstentions. Lawmakers argued that “Revival’s” actions represented an attempt to undermine Bulgaria’s democratic legal order and divert the country from its European path.
The session began with heightened tensions following recent protests and violent incidents involving “Revival.” One of the declaration’s proponents, WCC-DB MP Yordan Ivanov, defended the need for the resolution, claiming that the party posed a risk to national security. He pointed to recent incidents where “Revival” members engaged in violent demonstrations, stating, “Their leader threatened to set the country on fire, and we saw him make good on that promise.” He also questioned why the Prosecutor General had not yet requested the party leader’s immunity.
Despite the heated exchanges, several parliamentary groups dismissed the declaration as unnecessary and counterproductive. Toshko Yordanov, chair of “There Is Such a People” (TISP), argued that the resolution only gave “Revival” an opportunity to portray itself as a victim. “They don’t deserve this attention,” he stated before announcing that TISP would walk out of the session in protest. GERB’s parliamentary group followed suit, citing concerns that the debates had “gone beyond any parliamentary ethics.”
Radostin Vassilev, leader of MECH, also dismissed the declaration, stating that Bulgarian institutions should handle the issue rather than the National Assembly. Meanwhile, Tsoncho Ganev of “Revival” responded to criticism by declaring that his party members were “good Christians” and would bear their struggles with resilience. During the debate, “Revival” leader Kostadin Kostadinov took to the podium, displaying a photo of a man in a wheelchair who had attended an anti-euro protest, challenging MPs on whether such a person could be considered an aggressor.
Not all parliamentary groups opposed the resolution. The DPS-New Beginning party supported the measure and called for political isolation of “Revival.” “No one should cooperate with this party ever again,” urged DPS MP Stanislav Anastasov, arguing that such isolation was necessary for the declaration to have real meaning.
The BSP-United Left took a neutral stance, choosing not to participate in the vote. MP Andrey Valchanov criticized the declaration as politically divisive, saying Parliament should focus on economic issues instead of acting as a “tribunal.” He warned that such measures risked further fragmenting Bulgarian society.
In the final moments of the debate, WCC-DB MP Yavor Bozhankov defended the declaration, calling it an essential institutional response to “Revival‘s” actions. Addressing the opposition’s decision to leave the hall, he remarked, “Today, your leader spoke in front of empty seats—that’s exactly what you deserve.”
In a defiant speech following the vote, Kostadin Kostadinov vowed that “Revival” would continue its fight, accusing his opponents of trying to “kill the Bulgarian people” and pledging to defend the national currency. “If necessary, we will go to prison, but we will not surrender,” he declared.
Despite strong resistance from some factions, the declaration was ultimately adopted, sending a clear message from Parliament against “Revival’s” actions. The long-term political impact of the resolution, however, remains uncertain.
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