site.btaUPDATED EP Debates on "Ongoing Assault on Democratic Institutions and Rule of Law in Bulgaria"

On a motion by Renew Europe, the European Parliament Wednesday held a debate on "the ongoing assault on the democratic institutions and the rule of law in Bulgaria", to use the words of the request authors. It was prompted by the detention of Varna Mayor Blagomir Kotsev on corruption charges, which he and his Renew-affiliated Continue the Change party claims to be fabricated.

Renew Europe Chair Valerie Hayer said as she addressed the chamber that Kotsev "sits in a high security cell, without credible charges, without fair process, without daylight". "He is jailed for what he represents, a new generation that refuses corruption and Kremlin-style power.  This is not about a single politician. This is a European story. And it is a disgrace for us as a free and democratic European Union." 

She argued that "if justice can be twisted for one, it can be twisted for all". She went on to say, "We cannot preach democracy in Kiev or Tbilisi while ignoring injustice in Sofia. This is the moment to show that Europe still stands for democracy and justice, everywhere and for everyone. Let's not fool ourselves."

She described Bulgaria as "a country where justice has been captured by oligarchs, and where those who stand for reform are treated as enemies of the state. This is the corrupted world of [MRF - New Beginning leader] Delyan Peevski and his ally, [GERB leader] Boiko Borissov.  Their despotic system silenced judges, prosecutors, security services, media. Delyan Peevski is a danger for democracy. One by one, he is taking control over the existing political parties. One by one, those political parties are used as tools to silence opponents, while in the past they used to struggle for democracy in the country. Let me be clear. The dimension is huge." 

Renew Europe calls for suspension of all Recovery and Resilience Facility payments linked to judicial reform until political prisoners are freed and until Bulgaria demonstrates true separation of power. 

On behalf of the Danish Presidency of the Council of the EU, Denmark's Minister for European Affairs, Marie Bjerre, announced that the rule of law situation in Bulgaria will be discussed by the EU General Affairs Council on November 17, as part of the ongoing dialogue with European states on such issues.

In the subsequent statements by political groups in the EP,  the European People’s Party (EPP), where Bulgaria's ruling GERB is affiliated, noted that the Varna Mayor’s detention has so far been confirmed six times by the courts. "Independent institutions are doing what they are supposed to—conducting investigations free from political influence," the group stated.

Speaking on behalf of the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats, Kristian Vigenin (BSP - United Left, also in the government coalition of Bulgaria) said that Renew Europe, "misled by its Bulgarian members, is hystericizing long-standing issues" in Bulgaria, and called the EP debate "propaganda." "The solution does not lie in political campaigns and debates in Strasbourg, but in constructive work between the government and the opposition in Sofia," he said, adding that his parliamentary group supports sending an EP mission to Sofia.

The group Patriots for Europe challenged Renew Europe's very right to convene today’s debate.

The group European Conservatives and Reformists (ECR) stated it is watching developments in Bulgaria with concern. Pro-Russian parties are trying to undermine public trust in the State, and under the pretext of defending the rule of law, attempts are being made to attack the independent judiciary and anti-corruption institutions. We cannot allow mechanisms for the protection of the rule of law to be used to exert pressure on legitimately elected governments, the group said.

Representing Renew Europe, Nikola Minchev (of Kotsev's Continue the Change) said that each year the European Commission reports a lack of progress in Bulgaria's judicial reform. He pointed out that the Commission's anti-corruption working group includes only opposition representatives. Minchev insisted that the President of the Commission must deliver on her promise to link rule-of-law compliance with access to EU funding.

The Greens highlighted claims that testimonies in the case of Mayor Kotsev were given under pressure from the authorities. They acknowledged Bulgaria’s progress in recent years toward joining Schengen and the eurozone, but said rule-of-law reforms have stalled under the current government. They added that the charges against Kotsev remain legally unsubstantiated and called on the European Commission to seriously investigate the rule-of-law situation and whether conditions for receiving EU funds are being met.

The Left noted a deterioration of the rule of law in Bulgaria in recent months, along with pressure from the prosecution on judges in high-profile public cases. They said the case of the Mayor of Varna is reminiscent of events involving the Mayor of Istanbul.

Speaking on behalf of Europe of Sovereign Nations, Stanislav Stoyanov (Vazrazhdane) strongly condemned all forms of political repression. "Justice must not serve those in power. The truth is that for six years now, Bulgarian MPs from Vazrazhdane have been investigated for participating in civil protests - about one-fifth of the parliamentary group faces charges," he said.

What else was said by Bulgarian MEPs

Andrey Kovatchev (GERB/EPP) commented that the debate has nothing to do with the rule of law and is merely a "political spectacle." He wen ton to speak about the 2022 arrest of former Prime Minister Boyko Borissov and two team members on corruption allegations, stating that there was neither evidence nor formal charges at the time. Kovatchev added that the calls to suspend EU Recovery and Resilience funds for Bulgaria is "shameful".

Ilhan Kyuchyuk (Renew Europe) said that the debate is not directed against Bulgaria, but is a gesture of solidarity with the Bulgarian public. "The European Parliament is not a court," he added. "The rule of law is about the public's sense that they live in a just state. The law is weakened when it’s not in the hands of judges, but dictated from the outside," he continued.

Petar Volgin (Vazrazhdane/Europe of Sovereign Nations) said that the parties currently governing Bulgaria are trampling both written and unwritten rules. "There is no democracy or rule of law in our country," he declared. According to him, Continue the Change "prepared the noose with which they hoped to strangle their political opponents, but were outsmarted". "Your tears today is laughable," he told Renew Europe.

Elena Yoncheva (independent MEP affiliated with Delyan Peevski's MRF - New Beginning) stated that political interference in the independent judiciary in Bulgaria must not be allowed. "Today, we are witnessing an attempt by one of the opposition parties to attack the independent judiciary." She reminded that for years, the EU has been recommending improving the fight against high-level corruption in Bulgaria. "What is the opposition proposing—that we close our eyes to corruption just because it's their corruption? That we destroy trust in institutions and undermine the judiciary?" she asked. "That path leads only to the collapse of the rule of law," she concluded.

Radan Kanev (Democrats for a Strong Bulgaria/EPP) said that the security services, intelligence, and prosecution in Bulgaria do not serve the public interest - they attempt to dictate policy, exert power, seize property, and control the economy, striving for total power concentration. According to him, these structures cannot guarantee Bulgaria’s European orientation.

Tsvetelina Penkova (BSP/S&D) declared that democracy is a constant commitment, and Bulgaria demonstrates this every day. After years of political instability, the country now has a regular government, has restored institutional dialogue, and brought back predictability. "When a country moves forward, the loudest complaints come from those who are used to seeing it stuck," she said. "Bulgaria is stable, democratic, and committed to the rule of law," she added.

Hristo Petrov (Continue the Change-Democratic Bulgaria/Renew Europe) remarked that everyone in Bulgaria and in the European Commission who makes decisions knows what is really happening. "In the history books, today will go down as the day when Blagomir Kotsev was free [and therefore in jail], and seven million were in prison," he concluded. 

Bulgarian MEPs comment for BTA

MEP Ivaylo Valchev (There Is Such a People/European Conservatives and Reformists Group), who did not take part in the plenary debate, told BTA that the reason he refused to participate was that he did not want to legitimize something that he and his political group in the European Parliament consider completely unnecessary. Valchev stressed that holding a debate in the EP about a court case currently underway in Bulgaria is an attempt to exert pressure on the judiciary. "This is a conversation that belongs in the Bulgarian Parliament, and today we mostly witnessed a Bulgarian debate," he said. According to him, today’s debate "put black marks on Bulgaria", especially in the eyes of those who had recently been persuaded that the country has its rightful place in Schengen and in Europe. "We literally handed the ball to the Austrians, the Dutch, and the Belgians to revive their anti-Bulgarian rhetoric," Valchev added, noting that they would not speak against one Bulgarian party or another, but against Bulgaria itself.

After the debate, Nikola Minchev (Continue the Change/Renew Europe) told BTA that putting the issue of the rule of law in Bulgaria on the European Parliament’s agenda was a success. He said he was not surprised by the positions expressed by the different political groups in the European Parliament. "We received support from the Greens group, whose representative, speaking on behalf of the group, is also the chair of the anti-corruption intergroup in the European Parliament," the MEP noted. The position of the European People’s Party (EPP) and the Socialists was also not surprising, given that GERB and BSP are part of Bulgaria’s governing coalition, Minchev added. He pointed out that within the EPP, it was notable that none of the group or party leadership took the floor. "If in previous debates the EPP chair Manfred Weber himself was always very active in defending both GERB and Boyko Borissov personally, this time he made no statement," Minchev commented.

MEP Andrey Kovachev (GERB/EPP) told BTA: "I find it extremely inappropriate, even irresponsible, that Continue the Change is linking the work of Bulgarian institutions on an ongoing investigation with the suspension of payments under the Recovery and Resilience Plan. The debate on Bulgaria took place amid extremely low interest. It was absolutely unnecessary."

Elena Yoncheva said: "What we witnessed today in the European Parliament was a party debate initiated by the Renew Europe group." She noted that the group had taken advantage of a European Parliament rule allowing any political group to propose such a discussion, but explained that this was a debate without a resolution, without a vote, and it in no way represents the position of the Parliament. "For that reason, the chamber was practically empty," Yoncheva said. She added that many MEPs had shared the view that politicians in the European Parliament should not interfere in ongoing judicial investigations, as that would amount to an attack on the independence of the judiciary.

MEP Stanislav Stoyanov (Vazrazhdane/Europe of Sovereign Nations) said: "What we saw today I would call a parade of hypocrisy. The debate revealed double standards, because we have seen similar cases in the very recent past." Stoyanov commented that not long ago, four Bulgarian citizens spent 33 days in detention and were later released without charges simply because they had taken part in a protest. "They were political prisoners, and in the end, they turned out to be innocent," he added. The MEP recalled that at the time, Vazrazhdane had initiated a resolution in the European Parliament calling for the release of the Bulgarians, but it was precisely the members of the Renew Europe group who did not support it.

MEP Kristian Vigenin (Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats/BSP) criticized the Renew Europe group for dramatizing Bulgaria’s long-standing internal problems. He argued that political campaigns and debates in Strasbourg are not the solution, and called instead for constructive dialogue between the government and the opposition in Sofia. Vigenin warned that while democracy, fundamental rights, and the rule of law are the foundation of the EU, political misuse of these topics undermines citizens’ trust. He rejected the idea of EU political interference in Bulgaria’s judiciary and opposed halting EU funds. Vigenin voiced support for a well-prepared fact-finding mission to Bulgaria, proposed by Renew Europe, to provide an objective assessment and recommendations.

What is the Kotsev case about

Kotsev was elected mayor on the ticket of Continue the Change - Democratic Bulgaria in November 2023. He was arrested late on the night of this last July 8 following a tip-off for corruption by a failed public procurement tenderer. Along with municipal councillors Nikolay Stefanov and Yordan Kateliev, Kotsev has been charged with participation in an organized criminal group. The group is accused of engaging in coordinated criminal activities including abuse of office, bribery and money laundering. The three are charged with attempting to extort a sum equivalent to 15%, excluding VAT, of BGN 1,523,446 - the value of a public procurement contract for the delivery of meals to schools and kindergartens.

Kotsev has denied any wrongdoing and insists that he is the victim of political repression. He remains in custody and every time the court refuses to release him. The last time he lost an appeal of his detention, one dissenting judge wrote in the reasoning that the reasonable assumption of Kotsev's involvement in the crimes is not currently strong enough to justify keeping him in custody. He concluded that Kotsev should be released on his own recognizance, but the other two judges thought otherwise.

Fellow detainees Kateliev and Stefanov have already been released and are under house arrest.

Supporters say Kotsev's arrest is part of a government campaign targeting the opposition. Large-scale protests in his support have been staged in Varna, Sofia and other major cities.