site.btaMEPs Assess Positively Constitutional Changes in Bulgaria

MEPs from the Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs, who visited Bulgaria at the end of 2023, positively assessed the changes in the Bulgarian constitution. “I think many of the changes are in a good direction, it was a useful trip, Sophie in ‘t Veld (Renew Europe), who led the mission to Bulgaria, said on Monday. 

She said that the MEPs had spoken with the Bulgaria president, with representatives of the government, journalists, NGOs and with the acting Prosecutor General. “My experience with several successive Bulgarian governments from different political parties is that they all have the will to work with us, In ‘t Veld said. 

The constitutional amendments are aimed at addressing deficiencies identified earlier, especially with the position of the Prosecutor General, she noted. According to her, recently there has been an improvement in the state of the Bulgarian media. 

In ’t Veld noted the Venice Commission's assessment of the changes in the Bulgarian basic law and specified that the MEPs would follow up how these recommendations were reflected in the final constitutional texts. In her words, the MEPs from the mission are not unanimous about the risks of the approved changes. “We can say that a lot of energy has been put into the reform process by this and previous governments,” In ‘t Veld said. She hoped that the changes would lead to success in the fight against corruption and put the country on the path of consolidating the rule of law. 

MEP Elena Yoncheva (BSP/S&D Group), who participated in the mission, defined the constitutional changes as decisions imposed by the desire to achieve political goals. The reform tightens the grip of the ruling coalition on justice and shows political interference in the Supreme Judicial Council and the Supreme Prosecutorial Council and ensures impunity for those guilty of corruption over the past decade, she said. Yoncheva also spoke about the new appointments to the Constitutional Court and the termination of investigations discussed by MPs earlier. 

The S&D Group in the EP do not support the government's reforms. For us it is clear that the coalition's goal is to prolong its stay in power, Yoncheva added.  

Tineke Strik (Greens) pointed out that the mission had assured itself of the commitment of the Bulgarian authorities to address the rule of law issues. According to her, a thorough monitoring of the consequences of the constitutional changes is necessary. Media freedom needs attention, especially on issues of concentration of ownership and lack of transparency for owners, she noted. Tineke recommended the creation of politically independent means to fight corruption in Bulgaria.