Bulgaria's parliamentary group There Is Such a People released a declaration on Thursday after the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe lifted monitoring over the country and called on Nadezhda Yordanova of We Continue the Change-Democratic Bulgaria to explain her abstention vote. The monitoring ended after 27 years when PACE determined Bulgaria had met all Council of Europe requirements for full membership. Deputy Chairman Stanislav Balabanov said the resolution passed with 101 votes in favor, three against, and one abstention.
Balabanov identified Yordanova as the lone abstaining voter and demanded she justify her decision at the National Assembly podium. He noted representatives from North Macedonia cast the three opposing votes, but called the Bulgarian abstention incomprehensible and anti-Bulgarian. The PACE decision means Bulgaria will transition from post-monitoring dialogue to periodic reviews of the country's development. The resolution also removed references to ethnic Macedonians in Bulgaria from the report after efforts by Bulgarian parties and institutions.
Balabanov identified Yordanova as the lone abstaining voter and demanded she justify her decision at the National Assembly podium. He noted representatives from North Macedonia cast the three opposing votes, but called the Bulgarian abstention incomprehensible and anti-Bulgarian. The PACE decision means Bulgaria will transition from post-monitoring dialogue to periodic reviews of the country's development. The resolution also removed references to ethnic Macedonians in Bulgaria from the report after efforts by Bulgarian parties and institutions.
