At its sitting on 14 May 2026, the Constitutional Court issued a ruling on Constitutional Case No. 8/2026. The case was initiated at the request of the Council of Ministers. The reporting judge is Judge Sasho Penov.
The Court declared unconstitutional the Decision on Measures to Address the Price Shock Caused by High Prices of Crude Oil and Natural Gas, adopted by the National Assembly on March 13, 2026 (published in the State Gazette, Issue 28 of 2026).
The Constitutional Court found that the legislature had adopted the decision outside the scope of its budgetary and administrative authority as established by the Constitution and the laws.
In its reasoning, the Court states that the contested decision violates the principle of separation of powers – Article 8 of the Constitution – and the authority of the Council of Ministers, as provided for in Article 105, paragraph 1 of the Constitution, to conduct the country’s domestic and foreign policy. The powers of the National Assembly – to adopt the state budget (Article 84, item 2), and of the Council of Ministers – to prepare and submit a draft state budget (Art. 87, para. 2) and to oversee the implementation of the state budget adopted by the National Assembly (Art. 106, first sentence).
It is further noted that the National Assembly’s decision is not in accordance with the legal framework governing the general budgetary framework, the general organization and structure of public finances, as set forth in the Public Finance Act and the Act on Revenue Collection and Expenditure for 2026 until the adoption of the Act on the State Budget of the Republic of Bulgaria for 2026, the Law on the State Social Security Budget for 2026, and the Law on the Budget of the National Health Insurance Fund for 2026.
Twelve constitutional judges participated in the sitting.
The Resolution was adopted unanimously.
Link to the full text of the Resolution: https://www.constcourt.bg/en/case-721