site.btaParliament Leader: Legal Changes Needed to End Deadlock on Security Agency Appointments

Parliament Chair Natalia Kiselova emphasized the urgent need to resolve the current deadlock in appointing heads of Bulgaria’s security agencies, pointing to both legal and political challenges. Speaking in the northern town of Pordim at the unveiling of a monument at the King Carol I House Museum, Kiselova said the responsibility for these appointments is currently shared between government and president, with political accountability resting on the government. However, changes are necessary to overcome the ongoing blockage.

“There are no constitutional obstacles to the proposed changes under discussion,” Kiselova said. “Politically, it is problematic that amid global instability, one of the agencies remains without a permanent head. The question of how to overcome this lack of a regular director is being addressed through amendments in the law.”

Kiselova’s remarks come amid draft amendments from MPs of GERB-UDF, the Bulgarian Socialist Party, and There Is Such a People, which aim to shift the appointment power for the heads of the State Agency for National Security (SANS), the State Intelligence Agency (SIA), and the State Agency for Technical Operations (SATO) from the president to the National Assembly. Under current laws, these appointments are made by presidential decree upon the Council of Ministers’ proposal.

The amendments are on Parliament's agenda on Thursday. 

The MPs argue that frequent conflicts between the president and government have left agencies functioning under acting heads for extended periods, affecting their efficiency during times of international tension. The proposed legal changes would preserve the balance between the executive, legislative, and presidential branches without limiting the president’s constitutional role in defense and security.

The issue is especially relevant following President Rumen Radev’s recent refusal to approve the appointment of Denyo Denev as SANS chairperson, leaving the agency without a permanent leader since early September.