The National Assembly was thrown into turmoil during a plenary session when a heated dispute erupted between the pro-Russian party “Revival” and MP Manol Peykov of the pro-Western party "We Continue the Change-Democratic Bulgaria" (WCC-DB), disrupting the meeting and prompting Assembly Speaker Natalia Kiselova to intervene by cutting Peykov’s microphone and calling for a recess.

The clash began after Tsoncho Ganev, deputy chair of “Revival”, took issue with a declaration by WCC-DB to limit the teaching of Russian in Bulgarian schools. Ganev argued that restricting Russian would lead to civil strife, drawing historical parallels with the situation in Ukraine in 2013. Peykov’s retort from the podium ignited a storm, leading to Kiselova suspending his microphone as MPs from “Revival” gathered around the rostrum in protest.

As tensions flared, Peykov accused “Revival” MPs of spreading falsehoods and slammed them as “the lowest liars,” referencing Kostadin Kostadinov’s past claims about COVID-19 vaccines and foreign currency savings. Peykov also directed harsh words at Tsoncho Ganev, prompting an eruption of shouting. The Assembly President then imposed a “note” punishment on Peykov for his offensive remarks.

"Reival's" leader, Kostadinov, who was also called to the podium, defended his colleague and repeated the charge that the WCC-DB MPs were “janissaries,” a term that sparked additional backlash. Kiselova imposed the same punishment on him, warning that the next sanction would be removal from the session.

The scandal was rooted in a declaration from “Revival” criticizing the push to restrict the Russian language, which they saw as an attack on cultural heritage. They cited that even during socialism, Western languages were never forbidden, questioning when “the so-called democratic community” would begin burning books. In response, WCC-DB MPs argued that learning Russian in Bulgarian schools was a channel for propaganda.

During the break, Kostadinov took the floor for a personal explanation, fiercely rejecting Peykov’s allegations as outright lies. He denied being vaccinated against COVID-19, holding savings in euros, or any other accusation leveled against him. He branded Peykov a “liar and slanderer,” vowing to take legal action against him.

Meanwhile, tensions between the two parties simmered throughout the session. MP Yordan Ivanov of WCC-DB attempted to physically shield his colleague Peykov from the surrounding MPs of “Revival,” who had crowded around the podium as the row escalated.

Natalia Kiselova tried to restore calm, urging MPs to remember that they are all representatives of the Bulgarian people and should not insult each other’s voters. Despite repeated microphone shutdowns for both sides, the session eventually resumed with a reminder from Kiselova that there would be consequences for everyone’s behavior in the heated debate.

On the legislative front, Parliament passed amendments at second reading to the law governing the recognition, enforcement, and dispatch of orders for confiscation or asset forfeiture. The changes include replacing the three-member panel with a single judge and extending the deadline for handling cases from 7 to 14 days.