Prepared by: Bulgarian Center for Not-for-Profit Law (BCNL)
The far-right, pro-Russian Vazrajdane party has proposed amendments to the Pre-School and School Education Act, introducing fines of between €5,000 and €10,000 for legal entities that are registered abroad or receive at least half of their funding from foreign sources if they carry out trainings, surveys, or research involving children, students, or school personnel. The proposal, submitted ahead of the second reading of the broader reform of the Pre-School and School Education Act, would effectively ban foreign-funded CSOs from engaging in educational activities. According to the proposers of the amendments, their aim is to strengthen national sovereignty.
This proposal is part of a wider pattern of attempts by Vazrajdane to restrict civic space in Bulgaria. The party has previously submitted several drafts of a “foreign agents” law and introduced the “Don’t Say Gay in Schools” amendment, which was adopted in August 2024. The move aligns with ongoing efforts to stigmatise and delegitimise CSOs receiving foreign funding, a measure recognised by international human rights standards as a violation of the freedom of association.