Bulgarian President Radev vetoes amendments to State Property Act
Bulgarian President Roumen Radev said on August 11 that he vetoed parts of the bill to amend the State Property Act, passed by the National Assembly before it suspended sittings last month for summer recess.
In his motives, Radev said that he was vetoing the bill for two main reasons: the simplified proceedings for selling properties under the management of the Defence Ministry, which are otherwise subject to more stringent privatisation controls, and the higher risk of malfeasance as a result of relaxed permitting requirements for investment projects deemed to be of strategic priority.
Foreshadowing his intention to veto the bill, Radev said on August 10 that the government’s intention to sell 4400 properties of state-owned enteprises was an attempt to fill the state’s coffers and reduce the growing Budget deficit, which he attributed to Bulgaria’s upcoming introduction of the euro in January 2026.
In his veto motives, Radev indirectly referenced his earlier criticism, saying that the bill was an “attempt to cover up the political responsibility of the governing majority.”
In bypassing Parliament, which normally has to approve the sale of companies or properties of companies in the list of enterprises banned from privatisation (some, but not all properties up for sale belong to such companies) and the Defence Ministry (which, again, manages some but not all companies whose properties are being put up for sale), the Cabinet of Ministers was “abdicating from its constitutional duty of guaranteeing public interest,” Radev said.
Bulgaria’s constitution grants the head of state a limited power of veto, through enabling the President to return legislation to the National Assembly for further discussion.
The National Assembly may overturn the President’s veto through a simple majority vote or accept the veto and review the vetoed clauses. Since taking office in January 2017, Radev made liberal use of the power and this was his 40th vetoed bill.
The National Assembly overturned the veto on all but eight occasions – seven times the veto was accepted by MPs and, in the other case, the government coalition at the time failed to muster the support needed to overturn it.
With Parliament in its summer recess, it was not immediately clear whether the National Assembly would return for a special sitting to discuss the veto or whether it planned to take up the issue after it returns from recess in September.
(Roumen Radev photo: president.bg)
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