GERB proposes changes to the Family Code. The first political force wants parents to share child-rearing rights in the event of a divorce.
"We propose changes related to preliminary agreements to be signed before a divorce is formalized - to arrange travel abroad and the issuance of documents to the children of divorced couples", Denitsa Sacheva from GERB-SDF told journalists in parliament, quoted by novini.bg.
"The new texts give the right during a divorce case to parents to decide on all issues regarding the upbringing and education of minor children. Joint exercise of parental rights is a practice in many European countries and makes it possible to preserve the emotional connection with both the mother and the father after separation without negatively affecting development and upbringing. In 2023 The number of marriages is 21,000, while divorces were 9,000. In practice, almost half of marriages end, which puts a significant number of children at risk," she added.
To this end, parents must determine the days of stay with each of them, including during vacations, official and personal holidays, the amount of maintenance, as well as compliance with the child's established regime - for eating, sleeping, playing and regular attendance at kindergarten or school. The parent with whom the child spends more time must provide timely and complete information to the other.
"In the event that there is no understanding on one or all of these issues, the court determines the place of residence, the exercise of parental rights and the measures related to them. The GERB-SDF draft law also allows parents to come to an agreement about the children's trips abroad. If a dispute arises between them about a specific trip, it must be resolved separately. In such cases, the two can use a mediator or appear before the district court of their place of residence."
Regarding the negotiations, she stated that "there is no news".
"All the parties that are negotiating are approaching what we need to achieve as an end result extremely responsibly. Because we believe that we are really in a period in which people will not accept anything different than hearing something meaningful from us. The first term will obviously be after the New Year".