The topic of changing the Bulgarian national holiday sparked debate in Parliament

The topic of a possible change of the national holiday from 3 March to 24 May became an occasion for comments on the sidelines and declarations in the plenary chamber.

The leaders of the ruling majority, Kiril Petkov, Boyko Borissov and Hristo Ivanov preferred to defend their view that May 24 should be the new national holiday arguing that on this date “we celebrate the Bulgarian alphabet and culture. The opposition argued that the holiday should remain March 3 because that is the date on which Bulgaria returns to the political map of Europe.

Here is how the representatives of the parties commented:

Boyko Borissov, GERB-UDF: May 24 is an exceptional holiday, no dispute about it. There is no dispute whether it should be this, that or the other. There is a dispute whether it should be this, that or something else."

Kiril Petkov, We Continue the Change – Democratic Bulgaria: "In the spirit of the Bulgarian Constitution, there must be knowledge, literacy, culture, education. We should promise our children that Bulgaria can prosper only through education, culture, literacy and enlightenment ".

Hristo Ivanov, We Continue the Change – Democratic Bulgaria: "Regarding May 24, the question is not about one or the other side, about one or another division - the question is about Bulgaria and how we ourselves want to tell our children the history of our homeland".

Kostadin Kostadinov, "Vazrazhdane": "March 3 is not just a national holiday of Bulgaria, it is a symbol of Bulgarian freedom, it is the day of freedom. Yes, in our country freedom and independence are different and some skilled, politically impure speculators allow themselves to use this fact and touch Bulgarian history with their dirty fingers and make fun of it".

Borislav Gutsanov, BSP: "You, respected or rather disrespected colleagues, are inclined to sacrifice everything native in order to prove your correct political orientation, as you say it, and once again to kneel before whom - surely you do know".

Ivaylo Valchev, "There Is Such a People": "With all my Bulgarian and Slavic soul and with all my Euro-Atlantic reason, I cannot understand where the problem is regarding March 3. You can change the holidays, there are enough of you here, but you can't change history".

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On July 23, "We Continue the Change-Democratic Bulgaria" presented their draft for constitutional changes. Among the proposals is that the national holiday of Bulgaria be celebrated on May 24, with the day being renamed "Day of the Bulgarian language, education and culture, and Cyrillic alphabet"