Bulgarian CSOs Welcome EU Parliament Debate on Democratic Backsliding

On behalf of seven civil society organizations defending the rule of law and fundamental human rights in Bulgaria, the Anti-Corruption Fund (ACF) has published a statement in connection with today’s (October 22) debate in the European Parliament on the continuing assault on democratic institutions and the rule of law in Bulgaria.

The organizations – in addition to ACF, these include the Bulgarian Lawyers for Human Rights, the Bulgarian Institute for Legal Initiatives, the Bulgarian Helsinki Committee, the Institute for Market Economics, the Justice for Everyone Initiative, and the Access to Information Programme – welcome the decision to hold this debate against the backdrop of the deepening challenges in our country related to law enforcement and judicial institutions.

The problems affecting these institutions are so acute and visible that they undermine Bulgaria’s ability to uphold democratic principles, the rule of law, and the fundamental human rights of its citizens.

These challenges include:

• Arbitrary, politically motivated actions by anti-corruption bodies
  The arrest of Varna’s mayor, Blagomir Kotsev, is just one of a series of examples of selective and campaign-driven criminal proceedings for high-level corruption, serving as a “smokescreen” for extrajudicial purposes.

• Misuse of significant public resources and damage to the public interest that go uninvestigated

• A Commission for Anti-Corruption that operates without a mandate and abuses its newly granted powers

• Expired mandates of key public institutions

• Disciplinary proceedings against the Bulgarian European Prosecutor

• Widespread vote-buying (e.g., during the recent municipal elections in Pazardzhik) and the absence of institutional response

The list we present is not exhaustive but clearly illustrates the serious backsliding from the hard-won democratic achievements in Bulgaria’s recent history. We hope that Members of the European Parliament will hold a meaningful discussion and will continue to closely monitor the grave challenges facing democracy and the rule of law in Bulgaria.

European values only have real meaning when they guide the actions of public institutions in all EU Member States and at all levels of governance.

You can read the full statement here.