The government's intention to close the Commission on Files caused serious political tension and heated debates on the sidelines of the National Assembly.
The ruling majority plans to terminate the activities of the state body through the transitional and final provisions of the draft budget for next year, which provoked an immediate reaction from the opposition and trade union organizations.
The reasons of the submitters
The parliamentary group of “Progressive Bulgaria“ defended the proposal with the argument that the closure is part of the optimization measures of administrative structures and reduction of state spending in the conditions of a high budget deficit. According to the submitters, the commission has fulfilled most of its historical role in revealing the documents of the former State Security Service, and the remaining archives can be managed at lower costs.
Opposition: “Attempt to erase memory“
The Movement for Rights and Freedoms (MRF) categorically declared itself against the decision. In an official position, the party defined the plans as “a direct attempt to erase the memory of the dark pages of Bulgarian history“ and insisted on the immediate withdrawal of the texts until a broad public and expert debate was held.
Serious criticism also came from representatives of the right-wing spectrum in the person of “Democratic Bulgaria“ (DB). Economists and MPs from the formation defined the proposal as an “anti-reform“, which promotes opacity regarding affiliation to the structures of the communist secret services. From there, they also criticized the practice of fundamental structural changes in state bodies being pushed “in the dark“ through the transitional provisions of the financial law.
Trade unions in defense of employees
The Confederation of Bulgarian Trade Unions (CITUB) also joined the debate, expressing concern about the fate of employees in the administration of the commission. The union insisted on clear guarantees for the labor rights of employees and warned that closing structures without a prior risk assessment and without clarity about where the archives will be stored could lead to administrative chaos.
The debates on the texts are expected to continue in the relevant budget committee, where the opposition parties will attempt to blame the closure of the body before the final vote on Budget 2026 in the plenary hall.