After months of delay, the Bulgarian Parliament has finally elected a new national ombudswoman. Velislava Delcheva, nominated by GERB, secured the position with the backing of 123 MPs, coming from GERB, BSP, TISP, the DPS-New Beginning faction led by Delyan Peevski, as well as several independents. Her election concludes a contested and highly politicized process, with only one party-backed candidate advancing against five other nominees put forward by civil society organizations.

A Position with Potential Executive Power

Delcheva's appointment holds more weight than previous ombudsman elections due to recent constitutional amendments. Under the revised rules, the ombudsman or deputy ombudsman can now be tapped as a caretaker prime minister. If the Constitutional Court does not strike down these new provisions, Delcheva could find herself in a pivotal executive role during a political crisis.

The ombudsman's term is set at five years. The position had been vacant since April 2024, when Diana Kovacheva resigned to join the European Court of Human Rights.

The Candidates and the Vote

Aside from Delcheva, five other individuals entered the race: former ombudswoman Maya Manolova, ex-justice minister Anton Stankov, data protection expert Maria Mateva, former GERB MP Dzhema Grozdanova, and former head of the Consumer Protection Commission Dimitar Margaritov. All five were nominated by NGOs or civic bodies, but none came close to matching Delcheva’s support.

Manolova, despite having previously held the post, garnered only 38 votes - mainly from BSP, APS (the Ahmed Dogan-affiliated DPS faction), and “Greatness.” Margaritov and Grozdanova were backed by the WCC-DB coalition, while Stankov received limited support from APS and a single MP from “Revival.” Mateva failed to secure even one vote.

The final vote count stood at 123 in favor of Delcheva, 92 against, and five abstentions. The four independent MPs - former members of DPS - also voted for Delcheva, reaffirming their alignment with the ruling majority (GERB, DPS-Peevski, BSP, TISP).

The Next Step: Deputy Ombudsman Yet to Be Named

The deputy ombudsman position has been vacant since March 2024, following the resignation of Elena Cherneva-Markova. According to law, the deputy is elected by Parliament within a month of the ombudsman’s appointment, based on a proposal from the new officeholder after a public and competitive selection process. This individual, like the ombudsman, may also be eligible for a caretaker premiership under the 2023 constitutional amendments.

It remains to be seen who Delcheva will nominate for the post and whether the selection will follow the promised transparent procedure.

Who Is Velislava Delcheva?

Velislava Delcheva holds a master’s degree in law and has spent more than two decades involved in justice sector reforms, primarily through international and non-governmental initiatives. Her professional background includes work with the Council of Europe, USAID, and the UNDP, especially on topics such as legal aid and child rights.

She previously served as a legal expert in Bulgaria’s Constitutional Court and most recently worked in the Ministry of Justice, where she led programs under the Norwegian Financial Mechanism’s Justice Program (2014–2021). Her career has been focused on strategic planning and policy coordination in the judicial sphere.

Parliamentary Reactions and Political Undercurrents

During the debate, Delcheva received strong pushback from MPs of the pro-Russian party “Revival,” who criticized her past involvement in projects funded by George Soros.

BSP’s decision to back both Delcheva and Manolova triggered sharp commentary from the opposition, especially “Revival,” who saw it as political opportunism. Nonetheless, it was precisely this double endorsement from BSP that enabled a majority for Delcheva’s election.

The Bigger Picture: Political Calculations and Institutional Renewal

Dragomir Stoynev of BSP later commented that Delcheva’s election was a strategic move - one that not only filled a key institutional vacancy but also freed up funds under the National Recovery and Resilience Plan by completing an overdue appointment. According to him, the ombudsman should now play a central role in forming the committee that will nominate members of the future Anti-Corruption Commission.

Stoynev also addressed Manolova’s defeat, suggesting that while the BSP supported her, she failed to persuade the broader assembly, underscoring the limits of personal political capital in a fragmented legislature.

Constitutional Changes Driving the Contest

This election stood out due to the unusually high number of candidates - six in total - a record for the position. Analysts attribute this to the constitutional reforms that now allow the ombudsman and deputy ombudsman to be considered for the role of interim prime minister. As a result, the race was more than a bid for a citizen advocate; it became a proxy contest for potential future executive authority.