Bulgarian Constitutional Court Blocks Referendum on Euro Adoption
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A decisive ruling by Bulgaria’s Constitutional Court has effectively halted a proposed national referendum on the country’s potential adoption of the euro in 2026. The court unanimously rejected a challenge brought by 51 Members of Parliament from the “Vazrazhdane,” MECH, adn “Velichie” parties, who sought to overturn the parliament’s decision not to hold a vote on the referendum proposed by President Rumen Radev.
Radev’s Proposal and Initial Roadblocks
President Radev initially proposed the referendum on Europe Day,May 9 of last year,seeking to gauge public opinion on Bulgaria’s entry into the eurozone in 2026.The central question posed to voters was: “Do you agree with Bulgaria introducing the single European currency ‘euro’ in 2026?” However, the proposal faced immediate resistance. The initial attempt to move forward was blocked by then-Speaker of the National Assembly, Natalia Kiselova, who declined to consider the proposal.
Radev subsequently appealed to the supreme Court, which ruled in November that the Speaker lacked the authority to unilaterally reject a referendum proposal from a legally empowered entity. This ruling paved the way for a parliamentary vote on the matter, but on December 3, 2025, the referendum was rejected by a coalition of parties including GERB, DPS, BSP, and PP-DB. This latest decision then prompted the appeal to the Constitutional Court.
Constitutional Court Cites Legal Limitations
the Constitutional Court’s ruling centers on the principle that national referendums are only permissible on issues within the purview of the National Assembly. according to the court’s definition, a referendum cannot be used to circumvent established legal frameworks or rewrite international treaties. This echoes a previous ruling from 2024, which deemed a referendum on euro adoption inadmissible as it would contradict Bulgaria’s EU accession treaty.
“The opposite approach means producing referendums on all kinds of issues, including those for which it is initially known that they will not give rise to direct legal action, and this can lead to the use of direct democracy for purposes contrary to it,” a statement from the court explained, referencing a prior case, No. 8/2016. The court emphasized that any decision resulting from a referendum must be legally enforceable, or else, the exercise of direct democracy becomes meaningless.
No Constitutional dispute Found
The court further determined that the National Assembly’s decision regarding the referendum did not present a valid constitutional dispute. As a result, the request from the dissenting MPs was deemed inadmissible. the court also stated there was no basis for discussion regarding whether the proposed referendum question met the necessary legal requirements.
The decision was signed by judges Yanaki Stoilov and Sasho Penov, underscoring the unanimous agreement among the constitutional judges.This ruling effectively closes the door – at least for now – on a public vote regarding Bulgaria’s potential adoption of the euro, reinforcing the authority of the parliament and the existing legal framework governing EU membership.
Why did this happen? President Rumen Radev proposed a referendum on Eurozone entry, but the National Assembly rejected it. dissatisfied MPs appealed to the Constitutional Court, arguing the Assembly’s decision was unlawful.
Who was involved? Key players include President Radev,the dissenting MPs from Vazrazhdane,MECH,and Velichie parties,the ruling coalition (GERB,DPS,BSP,PP-DB),and the Constitutional Court judges Yanaki Stoilov and Sasho Penov.
What was the outcome? The Constitutional Court unanimously ruled the MPs’ challenge inadmissible, effectively blocking the referendum. They determined referendums cannot override existing laws or international treaties
