site.btaUPDATED Parliamentary Sitting Opens with Declarations Ahead of May 24 Celebrations

The regular sitting of the National Assembly on Friday opened with declarations on the occasion of the upcoming May 24th holiday — Day of the Holy Brothers Cyril and Methodius, of the Bulgarian Alphabet, Education and Culture and of Slav Letters.

In a declaration on behalf of the BSP – United Left coalition, MP Mariana Boyadzhieva said that May 24 is a celebration of the written word, a tribute to literacy, Bulgarian enlightenment, and culture. "It is a day that commemorates Bulgaria’s contribution to European civilization. This achievement would not have been possible without it being elevated to state policy by Bulgarian ruler Boris I. Thanks to this legacy, over 200 million people around the world write in Cyrillic today," Boyadzhieva read.

"Today, Europe speaks of defence and increasing military spending. But we know the army of teachers is just as important. Everyone responsible for education, science, and culture must embrace this mission as a top priority of the Bulgarian state," the BSP – United Left declaration urged.

In a declaration on behalf of the Continue the Change – Democratic Bulgaria (CC-DB) coalition, CC-DB Co-Floor Leader Nikolay Denkov emphasized that "the development of the world over the past centuries proves that the nations which have embraced literacy, knowledge, and science as their highest values have been the most successful, regardless of geography or natural resources". "There is nothing more valuable than the spiritual wealth and knowledge of a nation," he added.

The CC-DB declaration said that the work of the Holy Brothers and their disciples far exceeds the historical bounds of the Bulgarian state. It noted that the unification and rise of the Slavic nations in the centuries that followed were made possible thanks to the shared script developed in the Bulgarian literary schools and the unifying power of Christianity.

In a declaration on behalf of the GERB-UDF coalition, MP Toma Bikov remarked that May 24 is one of the few points of consensus in Bulgarian society. "It represents the spiritual perspective of the Bulgarian soul, linking our historical continuity from the Middle Ages and the National Revival to modernity. This consensus has never been disputed, regardless of the dramatic historical changes and ideological doctrines. It has always existed at the core of the Bulgarian nation," Bikov said. According to him, this consensus is Christian, secular, religious, and suprareligious, it includes everyone, and that is why all Bulgarian children will celebrate this holiday.

"Bulgarian society stands at the crossroads of three civilizational spaces – European, Russian, and Islamic. We are a frontier that is destined to understand different civilizations, but also to uphold our own identity, which will only grow more significant over time. We must understand that economic and political efforts alone are not enough – these must serve the goal of preserving and affirming Bulgarian cultural identity," the GERB-UDF declaration said.

In a declaration on behalf of the Velichie party, MP Yuliana Mateeva emphasized that the future of Bulgaria lies in returning to the spiritual pillars of national identity. "The creation of the Bulgarian script is the most significant achievement in Bulgaria’s centuries-old history. It is our civilizational imprint on the culture of Slavic nations. Cyrillic is an inseparable part of Bulgarian identity. It is our shield against erasure – preserving our memory, spirit, and language, even in the darkest times," Mateeva said.

In a declaration on behalf of the Vazrazhdane party, party leader Kostadin Kostadinov said he had not intended to deliver a declaration on Friday, as May 24 falls on Saturday, but was compelled to respond to the previous statements by other parliamentary groups. According to Kostadinov, the holiday has been distorted by false patriotic sentiments, being presented as solely a Bulgarian holiday rather than a Slavic one. He added that the name of the holiday was also changed in an attempt to distance Bulgaria from its core civilizational contribution – the creation of a script that became the writing system of other nations. "This is why it must be recognized as the Day of Slav Literacy," Kostadinov concluded.

Let us unite, as May 24 commands us, and make it so that Bulgarian culture, science and literacy will be supported by us, those sent here. This is what MP Iskra Mihaylova insisted on in a declaration on behalf of the parliamentary group of MRF - New Beginning. The declaration states that May 24 is a day of exceptional charge, symbolism and meaning in Bulgarian history, the Bulgarian present and in the future of Bulgaria.

Respect to every teacher in Bulgaria, librarian, museum worker, university lecturer, person who works in the archives and all those who are associated with the creation of culture - artists, creators, champions of Bulgarian science, all of them celebrate on May 24, she said.

In a statement, MRF-DRF defined May 24 as the most sacred date in the Bulgarian holiday calendar, “the crown of Bulgarian spirituality, a symbol of the cultural greatness of a nation that has proven over the centuries that true strength lies not only in arms, but in knowledge, word and spirit.” The declaration, read out by MP Mario Rangelov, says that this is the day we celebrate our belonging to an exceptional tradition, created with thought and inspiration, and carried on by a generation of patriots, enlighteners and awakeners.

It is not just a cultural contribution, it is a civilizational work that has uplifted many peoples from Russia and Mongolia through Ukraine to Central Europe, the declaration said.