site.btaSofia Hosts Model Republic of Bulgaria Youth Forum

A youth forum titled "Model Republic of Bulgaria – Sofia 2025" (MRB-Sofia) took place in Sofia from August 29 to September 1, simulating the work of three key Bulgarian institutions: National Assembly, the Council of Ministers, and the President's Administration. 

This year's tenth edition of MRB-Sofia drew over 50 participants aged 16 to 29 from across Bulgaria: students of the St Kliment Ohridski University of Sofia, the Medical University - Sofia, the University of National and World Economy, the Technical University - Varna, King's College London (including this BTA intern), as well as secondary-school pupils.  

Thirty "members of Parliament", 13 "government ministers", and a "president or the republic" represented the legislative and executive branches of government, while four "journalists" covered the event's highlights on social media. The "MPs" were grouped into a left and a right coalition, each comprised of three parliamentary groups, while the organizational team of five young people chaired the sittings of the "National Assembly" and the "Cabinet" meetings.  

Gabriel Valkov MP of the BSP – United Left and Chair of the Parliamentary Youth and Sports Committee, was the event's guest speaker. He suggested that the laws approved at MRB-Sofia be presented at the National Assembly by the participants in the forum. 

The MRB-Sofia organizers told BTA that sharing in the simulation helps young people build knowledge and skills essential for a future in politics, such as public speaking, strategic and critical thinking, negotiation, and drafting legislation. The team behind the event said they faced organizational challenges, such as dealing with unexpected problems and finding suitable venues for the proceedings.  

Participants singled out networking with peers as the greatest benefit of such formats. They stressed the importance of practical experience like policy implementation, noting that every law requires a background of diverse party expertise, compromises between interests and values, and considerations of the budget and the overall legal framework. 

Model Republic of Bulgaria is an educational youth simulation of state governance in the Republic of Bulgaria, developed by the Bulgaria of the Young Association. The event is addressed at young people interested in politics and civic engagement. MRB editions have been held in Blagoevgrad, Varna, Ruse, Plovdiv, Shumen and other Bulgarian cities and, on several occasions, in Sofia. The initiative attracts between 20 and more than 100 participants.