AT a special early morning session on May 11, Parliament ratified Bulgaria's European Union accession treaty, which was signed in Luxembourg on April 25.
In the presence of President Georgi Purvanov, Prime Minister Simeon Saxe-Coburg, Cabinet ministers, diplomats, the head of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church and the Chief Mufti, and former prime ministers and presidents of Bulgaria, the bill of ratification was approved by a vote of 231 votes for, one against and two abstentions.
Independent MP Stela Bankova said she voted against the ratification because the closing of four out of the six units of Kozlodui nuclear power plant - agreed to Bulgaria in EU accession negotiations - was "treachery".
Left-wing MPs Ognyan Saparev and Alexander Paunov, who is the leader of the Communist Party, abstained and claimed they were not acquainted with the contents of the treaty.
The session opened with a performance of the national anthem by the Cosmic Voices folk choir, and the ratification was followed by a performance of Ode to Joy, Europe's anthem.
It was broadcast live by Bulgarian National Television and Bulgarian National Radio.
In his opening remarks, Speaker of Parliament Borislav Velikov said that the ratification of the accession treaty was the most significant legislative act put to the vote in Parliament since the 1991 adoption of the constitution.
Prime Minister Saxe-Coburg said the ratification of the treaty was the key to the modern European future of the country.
He said it was "a goal that has been accomplished" and "a promise to our compatriots that has been met".
"Now it is more important than ever to stay united round the ultimate goal: full membership of the EU," he said, adding that the time until 2007 - when Bulgaria is scheduled to join the Union - should be dedicated to the sole goal of implementing the required reforms.
During the debate preceding the vote, all parliamentary groups hailed the upcoming act of ratification as a historic moment for the Bulgarian nation and emphasised the need to carry through the promised reforms.
National Movement Simeon II (NMSII) floor leader Stanimir Ilchev said that moving forward on the road to Europe was one of the country's biggest achievements.
Bulgarian Socialist Party leader Sergei Stanishev recalled that Bulgaria officially handed its application for EU membership in Madrid on December 16, 1995, when it had a socialist government.
"For us the EU is not just a common market or the most influential political club in the world - it is a union of states and societies united by common values, principles and rules. It is very important for the left that the EU is a union of social states, of democracies with a rule of law, where civil rights play a key role," Stanishev said.
He criticised the current Government for negotiating the country's EU accession without consultations, without the necessary awareness campaign in the country and without holding a national referendum. He said that one of the few negotiating chapters on which there was a clear parliamentary mandate, that on energy, was closed in violation of this mandate.
Democrats for Strong Bulgaria leader and former prime minister Ivan Kostov said that Bulgaria had left behind a very difficult period called "transition".
He said that ordinary people should be thanked and asked for forgiveness, because the effort of the transition had been extremely hard on them.
He warned of three big risks in the process of meeting the Copenhagen criteria for membership: inadequate competitiveness of the Bulgarian economy, the absence of the rule of law and the poor condition of the judiciary, and the integration of minorities.
"Today Bulgarian politicians should say frankly that there is a huge effort that needs to be made for this country to meet EU standards," said Nadezhda Mihailova, leader of the Union of Democratic Forces. "The early years of Bulgarian membership of the EU will be the hardest, which is why the next Bulgarian government should have a very clear vision of its European policy."
She identified five priorities for the country for the rest of this year, to allow actual accession in 2007: reform of the judiciary, curbing crime, introduction of clear rules for fair competition, fighting corruption, strengthening and development of administrative structures to make the European funds available to each farmer.
Yunal Lyutfi, deputy leader of the Movement for Rights and Freedoms, said that the country must continue its efforts towards a radical change in the functioning of the judiciary and to curb crime and corruption.
Meanwhile, a survey by the NCIOM polling agency showed that almost half of Bulgarians, 48.8 per cent, viewed the signing of the EU accession treaty positively.
Such reactions ranged from satisfaction, optimism and joy to enthusiasm, patriotism, and national pride.
But 27.6 per cent of respondents felt indifferent to the event, and 6.1 per cent reacted with mixed feelings.
The act evoked negative feelings - doubt, suspicion, fear, pessimism, or skepticism - in 11.6 per cent of those polled.
Positive reactions were more common among men than among women, and among younger people (18 to 39 years of age), as well as people with higher education, residents of regional capitals, and higher income groups.
A total of 68 per cent of those who identified themselves as NMSII supporters said they were pleased with the signing of the treaty.
Negative reactions were more commonplace among women, left-wing supporters, residents of Sofia, people living in serious deprivation, and the Roma.
Those who were not sure how they felt about the event tend to be aged between 50 and 59 and a notable number of them were supporters of the Movement for Rights and Freedoms.
Saxe-Coburg's Government seems to have derived the biggest dividend from Bulgaria's integration in Euro-Atlantic structures. At the same time, Bulgarians have not forgotten and do not underestimate the accomplishments of former prime minister Ivan Kostov, his foreign minister Nadezhda Mihailova and the rest of his cabinet.