site.btaNational Protection Service to No Longer Drive President's Administration Members, Parliament Decides

The National Service for Protection (NSP) will no longer provide transport services for the President's administration, the National Assembly decided conclusively on Friday. The amendment to the NSP Act was adopted with 119 votes in favor, 64 against, and 13 abstentions.

Parliament rejected the proposals of MPs Ivaylo Mirchev and Bozhidar Bozhanov of Continue the Change - Democratic Bulgaria that MPs should not be guarded by the NSP in specific cases of threat and that the NSP's security detail for MRF - New Beginning leader Delyan Peevski be withdrawn.

The newly adopted revision was sponsored by MP Kalin Stoyanov of MRF - New Beginning, with support from MPs of GERB-UDF, MRF - New Beginning, BSP - United Left and There Is Such a People. In Stoyanov's words, the reason for the amendment is President Rumen Radev’s visit to Varna on August 10 this year, when "the entire city was blocked due to his motorcade, which included seven vehicles". Stoyanov stated during the first-reading debate that the amendment does not seek confrontation, but aims to close a loophole that for years has allowed many people to take advantage of privileges intended for somebody else.