The Government today adopted the draft proposal to amend the Constitution, and to meet the main Bulgarian demands. The proposal that will be sent to Parliament includes adding the Bulgarians, Croats, Montenegrins, Slovenians, Jews and Egyptians, in addition to the nations already mentioned in the Constitution.

The proposal does not include other changes to the political organization of the country, or to the position of the Macedonians – as was speculated in the year leading up to this proposal. If accepted – which is a big if – the nations would be added in the Preamble and in article 36 of the Constitution. Additionally, the make-up of the Committee on relations between communities will be expanded from 19 to 43 members – 16 Macedonians, 16 Albanians and one each of the other nations mentioned in the Constitution.

In the elaboration of this proposal, the Government notes that it undertook an obligation before the European Union to include the Bulgarian nation in the Constitution, and that to do otherwise would damage the EU integration process. The Government acknowledges that the opposition has a different opinion on this matter, but still calls on it to support the proposal.