Ombudsman Delcheva: Any Constitutional Amendment Should Safeguard Institutional Balance and Public Trust

Kristina Ivanova, BTA correspondent Andrey Kyuchukov

Ombudsman Velislava Delcheva gives opening remarks during the Constitution Day celebration, Veliko Tarnovo, April 16, 2026 (BTA Photo/Biser Todorov)

Veliko Tarnovo, North Central Bulgaria,

16.04.2026 15:06

(BTA)

Any amendment to the Constitution should be made with particular responsibility, not only through the lens of political expediency, but with due regard for the balance of institutions and public trust in them, Ombudsman Velislava Delcheva said in her opening remarks during the Constitution Day celebration held in Veliko Tarnovo on Thursday.

The event took place at the the Museum of the Bulgarian Revival and Constituent Assembly, where the Tarnovo Constitution was adopted on April 16, 1879, is also part of the marking of the 35th anniversary of the establishment of the Constitutional Court.

Delcheva said that the 1991 Constitution is the result of a public will for democratic development, not of opportunistic party interests. The Basic Law and the Constitutional Court are the core of Bulgaria’s democratic order. She also drew attention to the role of the ombudsman, noting that the rule of law is measured not only by the recognition of rights, but also by the real mechanisms for their protection.

Constitutional review is among the most important guarantees of citizens’ rights, Delcheva said. For over 21 years, more than 1,000 requests have been submitted for referral to the Constitutional Court, and the ombudsman has made 48 such requests.

Talking about the recent amendments to the Constitution, according to which the ombudsman is one of the possible candidates for caretaker prime minister, Delcheva said this is a contradictory position. It would be difficult for the ombudsman to head the executive branch and then return as its corrective force, Delcheva said.

She added that such decisions should not undermine public trust in institutions established to protect citizens’ rights, and called for the issue to be discussed calmly and responsibly, with consideration for sustainability, balance of powers, and the protection of citizens.

/КT/