Bulgaria’s Parliament elects new Deputy Ombudsman

Bulgaria’s National Assembly voted on September 10 to elect Maria Filipova, until now the head of the Consumer Protection Commission, as Deputy Ombudsman.

In the 240-seat House, the vote was 128 in favour and 56 against, with the votes in favour coming from GERB-UDF, the Movement for Rights and Freedoms – New Beginning, the Bulgarian Socialist Party – United Left, ITN and non-aligned MPs, and those against coming from We Continue the Change – Democratic Bulgaria, Dogan loyalist MPs, Mech and Velichie.

Filipova was nominated by Ombudsman Velislava Delcheva, who was elected to that post in July 2025, and the Bulgarian National Association Active Consumers.

The election of Filipova places her on the list created by the amendments to Bulgaria’s constitution in 2023 from which the head of state must choose a caretaker Prime Minister.

That list includes the Speaker of the National Assembly, the governor or a deputy governor of central Bulgarian National Bank, the head or deputy head of the National Audit Office, and the Ombudsman or Deputy Ombudsman.

At parliamentary hearings earlier in September, Filipova declined to say whether she would accept appointment as caretaker Prime Minister, saying that she was a long-time civil servant and “I don’t understand politics”.

At those hearings, WCC-DB raised Filipova’s alleged ties to MRF – New Beginning leader, Magnitsky Act-sanctioned Delyan Peevski.

Those who voted against Filipova on September sought to portray her track record in consumer protection as inadequate.

Filipova has a master’s degree from the University of National and World Economy, majoring in law, with several postgraduate qualifications and specialisations in the field of banking and finance.

She has held posts at the State Gambling Commission, the Registry Agency, the Agency for Privatisation and Post-Privatisation Control, among others.

She also was employed at the Ministry of Justice, where she was part of the team that drafted and prepared the submission to the Cabinet of a draft of a new Criminal Code.

At the Legal Directorate of the Ministry of Finance, she participated in the preparation of opinions on legal issues in the field of public finance, the preparation of draft acts related to the compilation, implementation and reporting of the state Budget.