site.btaDemocratic Bulgaria Highlight "Unacceptable Provision" Concerning Social Media Regulations in Proposed Amendments to Election Code

Democratic Bulgaria Floor Leader Nadejda Iordanova highligted "a controversial provision stating that the Election Code's rules on election campaigning will apply to social media and personal blogs" in the proposed amendments to the Election Code, which are to be voted on at second reading by the parliamentary Legal Affairs Committee at its sitting on Tuesday. Speaking to journalists before the meeting, she added: "This is a new provision that was not debated at first reading and, from our point of view, it is unacceptable and in serious conflict with the right to freedom of expression."

"The issue of social media during election campaigns needs to be regulated better. There is already an EU regulation governing political advertising across the European Union, but the delicate question here is to what extent we regulate the platforms themselves and how they fulfil their obligations on the one hand, and on the other whether we restrict every individual's right to express their opinion," Iordanova said.

"Under these rules, for example, the question arises whether, as a political figure, I may or may not discuss a candidate 45 days before an election," she explained. "We should focus on implementing the regulation that provides clear rules for political advertising across the European Union rather than inventing new rules that exist nowhere else," the Democratic Bulgaria Floor Leader added. According to her, the other amendments to the Election Code aim to introduce fully machine-based voting at the next elections and remove the limit on the number of polling stations in countries outside the European Union, changes for which she believes consensus can be reached.

"You know that we insist on the creation of a 'Foreign Constituency', but the governing majority has decided to drop the proposal. We believe this is to the detriment of our compatriots living abroad," Iordanova said.

"We expect the Ministry of Interior to continue actively performing its role at the next elections, as it did at the previous ones, in limiting controlled and vote-buying practices. We welcome the governing majority's decision to withdraw the proposal for the Ministry to participate in the certification of the voting machines," she added.

Asked whether GERB-UDF had sought Democratic Bulgaria's support in collecting signatures to submit a constitutional challenge to the 2026 Budget to the Constitutional Court, Iordanova said she had learned about the matter from the media and that no discussions had taken place. Asked whether Democratic Bulgaria would support such a move, she replied: "It would be inappropriate to speculate on that at this point."

Commenting on Continue the Change's signature campaign calling on President Iliana Iotova to veto the 2026 State Budget Act, Iordanova said Democratic Bulgaria supported the initiative.