Seven Candidates Submit Applications for European Prosecutor from Bulgaria

Seven individuals have submitted applications to participate in the selection process for Bulgaria’s next European Prosecutor. The candidates are Mihaela Raidovska, Dimitar Belichev, Svetlana Shopova-Koleva, Plamen Petkov, Ivaylo Iliev, Desislava Pironeva, and Boyko Atanasov, the Ministry of Justice announced. The application period ran from 24 November to 12 December.

The selection procedure takes place in two stages - an eligibility check and a public hearing. On 18 December, the special selection committee, appointed by order of Justice Minister Georgi Georgiev, will meet to rule on the eligibility of the candidates.

Candidates who pass this stage will be invited to a public hearing before a seven-member committee chaired by Deputy Justice Minister Stoyan Lazarov. At the conclusion of the process, the committee will submit three proposed candidates in alphabetical order. These nominations, accompanied by a report from the Justice Minister, are then forwarded to the Council of Ministers for approval before being sent to the relevant EU authorities for further selection. European Prosecutors are appointed by the Council of the EU for a six-year term, with the new term expected to begin at the end of July 2026.

Nominated candidates must be serving prosecutors, judges, or investigators whose independence is beyond doubt. They must hold the necessary qualifications for appointment to a senior prosecutorial or judicial position (with a minimum of 12 years’ experience) and possess relevant practical experience in their national legal system, financial investigations, and international judicial cooperation in criminal matters. EU eligibility requirements also stipulate that candidates must be able to complete the six-year term before reaching the age of 70 and must be proficient in English.