President Rumen Radev called on the institutions to take action against the political and oligarchic influence in the judiciary. The Head of State participated in a discussion organised by the Bulgarian Institute for Legal Initiatives on February 4. The event was also attended by Parliament Speaker Nataliya Kiselova, MPs, representatives of various institutions and NGOs.
"By their fears, you will know them" – with a paraphrase of a biblical quote, President Radev began his statement. He explained that after agreeing to participate in the discussion, there was a real hysteria among those who feel comfortable with the status quo in the judiciary.
Rumen Radev - President of the Republic of Bulgaria: "For whom the Notary's network, the cozy atmosphere in the 'Eight Dwarfs', the sticky timelessness that has enveloped the Corporate Commercial Bank case tightly and selective justice are the vital guarantor of favouritism and impunity."
According to the President, the country needs an honest conversation about judicial reform. He reminded that the reformist momentum for change was dampened, even with the involvement of the reformers themselves. He emphasised that for some politicians, changing the national holiday and stripping the President of some powers seemed more important. According to Radev, if the network of influence continues to exist, it will spoil any reform, distort any law, and penetrate through any quotas.
Rumen Radev, President of the Republic of Bulgaria: "I appeal to all of you, as well as the responsible state institutions, to take decisive action against political and oligarchic influence on the judiciary based on the substantial information about these cases. The newly formed Parliament and government should take this task very seriously, as well as the upcoming appointments in the judiciary."
He noted that in the political debate on the judiciary, the focus is mainly on the Prosecutor's Office and the personality of the Chief Prosecutor. He pointed out two reasons for this.
Rumen Radev, President of the Republic of Bulgaria: "The first reason is the involvement of the Prosecutor's Office in political life. There are numerous examples, you know from the transition years how the Prosecutor’s Office influenced the development of important political events. The Prosecutor’s Office, mainly because of the politicians, has turned into an instrument of state governance."
The second reason is for overseeing legality in the state.
Rumen Radev, President of the Republic of Bulgaria: "On all signals of crimes in the higher echelons of power over the last 30 years, no effective investigations have been carried out, no guilty parties have been found, and no one has been punished."
The Speaker of the Parliament, Nataliya Kiselova, reminded that the problems in the judiciary can be addressed at two levels – either through constitutional amendments or through changes in legislation.
Nataliya Kiselova - Speaker of the Parliament: "My personal opinion, and it was supported in 2023, is that the Constitution should not have been opened. My opinion then, and now, is that efforts should be made to change the rules through law."
Kiselova expressed her support for small steps that bring change in the right direction: "We should not make constitutional or legislative changes just to be part of our PR. They should be made with the understanding that laws are written at least a year in advance, so they are not opened again. We cannot change laws every month or whenever there is a need for legislative change."
Kiselova assured that the parliament’s efforts would be focused on updating all bodies with expired mandates.
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