Parliament & Voting Rules: Bulgaria’s lawmakers approved election changes restoring full machine voting, ending the separate abroad constituency, and expanding polling options outside the EU, with audit steps for vote counting. Energy Charter Treaty: Parliament also ratified an agreement clarifying how the Energy Charter Treaty’s arbitration clause can’t be used for intra-EU disputes, and sets rules for ending pending intra-EU cases. Security Institutions: Plamen Tonchev, nominated to lead SANS, urged MPs to keep the “Secret Police Files” committee alive, while he pushed for targeted SANS reforms to boost capacity against evolving threats. Health Budgets: The Budget Committee passed the 2026 NHIF budget and the 2026 Public Social Insurance budget bill at second reading, rejecting opposition proposals on benefits and pension caps. Foreign Policy Row: Opposition parties accused the government of sending mixed signals on the “Coalition of the Willing” after PM Rumen Radev said Bulgaria won’t join, while Foreign Minister Velislava Petrova attended the Kyiv summit; the Foreign Ministry denied she signed any commitment. Sofia City Life: Tsar Osvoboditel Boulevard will go pedestrian-only on August weekends, with traffic restrictions from Saturday morning to Sunday night. Sports & Security: CSKA Sofia beat Derry City in Europa League qualifiers, but crowd violence and a match pause marred the tie.