More than 60 candidates for MPs in the National Assembly and the European Parliament are now part of NNC’s informal network Parliamentary Group for Children. Launched each time at elections, the group is a long-standing NNC initiative. The campaign aims at attracting the country’s lawmakers to commit their parliamentary work to the best interests of children and families in Bulgaria.
Candidates from the lists of six different parties and coalitions are already part of the new Parliamentary Group for Children. To join the Group, the candidates for the 50th National Assembly sign the Declaration of the Parliamentary Group, and those for the European Parliament adopt the Manifesto of Eurochild, the pan-European alliance of civil society organisations. With this, they all pledge to support children and families with effective and comprehensive policies, to work for the overcoming of child poverty, for the best child and maternal health through paediatric care reform, for the transparent construction of the National Children’s Hospital, for quality healthcare and education, child-friendly justice and protection from all forms of violence. Both Declarations are available on our website here: https://nmd.bg/sign-online/
We are running the campaign for the sixth time. In the 49th National Assembly, 35 MPs were part of the Group, and since the launch of the “I Vote for Children!” campaign, more than 150 public figures and politicians have been members of the informal network. All members of the Parliamentary Group for Children receive the special “I Vote for Children!” badge to inform voters that they are committed to supporting all children and families in Bulgaria.
The campaign is an instrument to make our voices heard and create a dialogue on basic child and family welfare issues, regardless of disagreements among politicians on other topics. We believe that there should be continuity in children’s policies, and accelerated and consistent integrated support to parents. With candidates who become MPs, we work on the policies we advocate for together with our 130 member organisations nationwide. NNC assists with data, expert analysis, and recommendations for regulatory and legislative changes.
On a number of issues, collaboration with the Parliamentary Group for Children members has been successful, albeit slowly – progress towards the construction of the National Children’s Hospital without further delay, the reimbursement of medical food, and changes to the adoption law, being among others.
NNC’s “I Vote for Children” campaign is to continue until the election day on June 9, 2024, with the names and personal statements of the candidates in child policies published on our dedicated page CHILD DEFENDERS.
Any candidate for MP or MEP can join the Parliamentary Group for Children by signing the Declarations on our website here: https://nmd.bg/sign-online/.
