Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Ekaterina Zaharieva stated that Bulgaria will be the reason why the entire European Union will not be able to apply the Convention on Preventing and Combating Violence against Women and Domestic Violence, known as the Istanbul Convention.

Minister Zaharieva explained that the European Affairs Council with the Council of Ministers took the view that due to the ruling of the Constitutional Court, Bulgaria cannot support the decision for the convention to be concluded on behalf of the EU. In her words, by taking this position Bulgaria will halt the accession to the Convention of the entire EU, due to absence of unanimity among the member countries.

The Constitutional Court in Bulgaria ruled that the content of some of the provisions of the Istanbul Convention goes beyond its stated purpose, making the document non-consistent with the constitution of the Republic of Bulgaria.