Bugarska na putu ka Evropskoj uniji – o izmeni bugarskog Ustava od 24. Septembra 2003. –
On the Changes to the Bulgarian Constitution of 24. September 2003

Summary/Abstract: Taking into consideration the continuous complaints for corruption, organised crime and „the existence of the state not based on law“ the EU Commission required additional reforms of judiciary (transparency, openness, rendering of an accounting). Therefore, Sofia – being concerned that Brussels could stipulate the Bulgarian accession to EU by applying the so-called protection clauses – rapidly took on to carry out the Constitution reform. Actually, for twelve years the Constitution of the Republic of Bulgaria had remained “untouchable” for the fear that it could provoke serious reactions due to different positions on the reform. However, after the European Commission had criticised “the state of the Bulgarian judiciary” and since the accession to NATO was soon to come, there was no other choice. Therefore, it adopted amendments in the following sequence: the first amendment – on 23 February 2003, the second amendment – on 25 February 2005 and the third amendment – on 30 March 2006. The immediate cause for the adoption of the fourth constitutional amendment was, among other things, the Article 129, paragraph 4, which had been introduced by the third reform of 30 March 2006. The European Commission realised that the division of power was jeopardised, what also affected the independence of the judiciary. This was because the President of the state was authorised by the parliament to dismiss three supreme magistrates (the President of the Supreme Court of Cassation, the President of the Supreme Constitutional Court as well as the General State Prosecutor) in the case related to the Article 128 paragraph 4 point 5. As early as on 2 February 2007 the Assembly adopted the fourth amendment to the Constitution of the Republic of Bulgaria with 129 votes for, 28 against (with 6 abstentions), thus fulfilling some requests of the European Commission. As during the consultations on the new Law on Constitutional Court the parliament requested to make amendments that would “additionally change the Constitution” the fifth amendment is likely be adopted afterwards.

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