President Stops Controversial Amendments to State Property Act
"President Rumen Radev imposed a veto on provisions of the amendments to the State Property Act." The Head of State returned parts of the law for repeated debate in the National Assembly, which in his view "remove established legal guarantees when executing certain disposal transactions with property entrusted to the state".
"The sale of property from enterprises included in the so-called prohibition list under the Privatization and Post-Privatization Control Act (PPPCA) is being facilitated. The requirement for a privatization sale of separate parts of commercial companies with more than 50% state capital participation, included in the list under Art. 3, para. 1 (the so-called prohibition list) to be possible only after a decision by the National Assembly upon proposal by the Council of Ministers, is being removed."
Danger to Public Interest and Public Assets
In his motives, Radev points out that "the changes in the PPPCA create conditions for concealing the political responsibility of the ruling majority". The President emphasizes that the legislative amendments "legalize a refusal of constitutional powers entrusted to the executive branch for management and disposal of state-responsible property". In the long term, this would negatively affect the assets of the companies themselves and would render the prohibition list meaningless, in which they nominally appear.
Political Context and Reasons for Veto
- The amendments were adopted on July 31, 2025, immediately before the parliamentary vacation.
- The President commented: "The government of Peevski and Borisov is preparing to sell state properties - some along the Black Sea coast, others along the state border. They are preparing the largest robbery since the 90s. These are 4,400 state properties. It is no coincidence they pushed through the changes in the State Property Act on the eve of vacations."
- "One mistake leads to another mistake. The clientele of the new coalition will benefit, while all Bulgarians will become poorer, and nature will suffer. That's why I imposed a veto and expect deputies to reflect on it," the president said further.
Investments, Environment, and Public Interest
Rumen Radev expresses principled support for the idea "of explicitly introducing in the law accelerated administrative procedures for implementing significant projects intended to satisfy public needs in the public interest". However, he warns that this should happen "under objective criteria, while observing requirements for predictability and justification". Otherwise, the purpose of accelerated procedures becomes blurred and prerequisites are created for them to be used beyond legitimate goals.
Public Message
The President reminds: the purpose of law changes cannot be achieved at the expense of public interest and citizens' fundamental rights - the state must exercise effective management and protect the property entrusted to it in the interest of citizens and society.