A decision obliging the Bulgarian Council of Ministers to submit a law for the ratification of the country’s accession to Donald Trump’s so-called "Board of Peace" was adopted in parliament after a vote marked by significant absences and abstentions among MPs. The resolution passed with 100 votes in favor, 54 against and three abstentions. Support came from GERB, “DPS-New Beginning” led by Delyan Peevski, “There Is Such a People” (TISP) and several independent deputies associated with the Movement. The relatively low number of participants in the vote made it possible for the proposal to pass despite limited backing in the chamber.

The vote drew attention because Peevski himself appeared in parliament specifically for the procedure after not attending plenary sessions for about a month. He is sanctioned by the United States under the Global Magnitsky Act for corruption. Observers noted that many parliamentary groups were either absent or significantly underrepresented during the vote. Some MPs reportedly avoided participating altogether, while others were present in much smaller numbers than their official parliamentary group sizes.

Opposition to the proposal came from “We Continue the Change-Democratic Bulgaria” (WCC-DB), “Revival”, the Bulgarian Socialist Party (BSP) and the party “Greatness.” However, even among these groups the number of deputies present during the vote was limited. WCC-DB had only 27 MPs participating out of 36 members, even though 32 had registered earlier in the day. “Revival” saw just 20 of its 33 deputies vote, while only five BSP representatives took part despite the party having 19 MPs. From the ten deputies of “Greatness”, just three participated in the vote, and from the eleven MPs of MECH only two cast ballots. Notably, none of the MPs from the Alliance for Rights and Freedoms (APS), traditionally seen as political rivals of Peevski’s faction, voted at all.

The final outcome came after a second vote that produced nearly the same result as the initial one. Before the revote, WCC-DB deputy Bozhidar Bozhanov requested a 30-minute recess to allow more MPs to enter the chamber and participate. The request was denied by the presiding officer of the session, GERB deputy Kostadin Angelov, who argued that the procedure was already underway and could not be interrupted. During the exchange Angelov even cut off Bozhanov’s microphone. The deputy later pointed out that in a previous case Angelov had allowed both a break and a subsequent revote. Bozhanov cited the January 14 parliamentary session concerning another proposal important for Peevski’s party, when such a procedure had been permitted after a request by DPS-New Beginning MP Hamid Hamid. Angelov acknowledged the inconsistency by stating that he was “not without fault.”

Under the adopted decision, the Council of Ministers is required to submit a draft law to parliament that would ratify Bulgaria’s accession to the Board of Peace. Caretaker Prime Minister Andrey Gyurov had already warned that the government would challenge such a move before the Constitutional Court. According to Gyurov, the constitutionally established separation of powers does not allow parliament to compel the executive branch to carry out actions that fall within its own authority.

The prime minister also suggested the cabinet could request a preliminary constitutional review, a mechanism through which the Constitutional Court evaluates whether international agreements concluded by Bulgaria comply with the constitution before they are ratified. It can also assess whether laws conform to international legal norms and existing treaties to which Bulgaria is a party. Gyurov questioned whether Trump’s Board of Peace can even be considered an international treaty and what exactly the agreement contains.

The issue gained political momentum after former prime minister Rosen Zhelyazkov attended the ceremony establishing Trump’s Board of Peace at the end of January. His participation was based on a classified decision taken by the Council of Ministers the day before the event, which only became public weeks later. Zhelyazkov’s involvement was heavily criticized domestically, and his outgoing government ultimately declined to submit the accession agreement to parliament for ratification.

That refusal prompted strong reactions from Delyan Peevski, who insisted that Bulgaria should formally join the initiative. His party, “DPS-New Beginning,” subsequently introduced a draft resolution in parliament aimed at forcing the government to submit the ratification law. The proposal gained momentum after it was approved in an extraordinary session of the parliamentary defense committee chaired by GERB MP Hristo Gadzhev. With the backing of GERB and TISP, the committee allowed the draft to move forward to the plenary hall.

During the parliamentary debate, Stanislav Anastasov and Hamid Hamid from Peevski’s faction criticized the caretaker government and WCC-DB, accusing them of deliberately obstructing Bulgaria’s participation in the Board of Peace. Their position was sharply contested by opposition MPs. Yordan Ivanov of WCC-DB described the initiative as “absurd and humiliating,” arguing that the organization effectively revolves around a single individual and resembles a hereditary structure rather than a conventional international body.

Opponents also warned that ratifying membership could isolate Bulgaria from the policies of the leading EU countries. They pointed out that the parliament adopting such a decision is close to dissolution, making the move politically questionable. WCC-DB and BSP further argued that the resolution represents a legal anomaly because it attempts to transfer executive powers to the legislature.

Some critics suggested that the push for ratification is connected to Peevski’s personal interest in being removed from the Magnitsky sanctions list. Gyurov echoed this concern, saying certain politicians appeared ready to “trade national interests” in pursuit of improvements to their international standing.

Although a charter for the Board of Peace has been published, it provides little information about the organization’s actual activities. The document focuses primarily on governance structures, financing and obligations of member states. It also specifies that Donald Trump would serve as life chairman of the council in his personal capacity rather than as the president of the United States.

So far, most European Union countries have declined the invitation to participate in the Board of Peace. Hungary remains the only EU member state that has expressed support for joining the initiative.