EditBulgarian public figures issue urgent call to EU leaders over anti-democratic crackdown
The signatories highlight the misuse of key state institutions as tools to suppress the pro-European opposition
On 18 July a group of 25 prominent Bulgarian public figures, including academics, journalists, financiers, and diplomats such as Prof. Evgeni Daynov, journalist Boyko Stankushev, and diplomat Iliyan Vasilev, issued an open letter to European Parliament President Roberta Metsola, European Council President António Costa, and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.
The letter expresses alarm over the systematic erosion of democracy and the rule of law in Bulgaria, warning of a shift toward authoritarian, pro-Russian governance that threatens the country’s European integration.
Systematic repression and institutional capture
The signatories highlight the misuse of key state institutions -such as the prosecution, judiciary, anti-corruption commission, and various administrations – as tools to suppress the pro-European opposition, specifically the Continue the Change party and Democratic Bulgaria coalition.
They accuse a political alliance between Delyan Peevski, leader of the Movement for Rights and Freedoms “New Beginning” and sanctioned for corruption under the UK and U.S. Magnitsky Act, and Boyko Borissov, leader of GERB, of orchestrating these attacks to consolidate power through clientelist networks and strategic corruption.
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This alliance, they claim, protects pro-Russian Revival party MPs from prosecution for attacks on EU representations in Sofia, undermining Bulgaria’s commitment to European values.
A prominent case cited is the arrest of Varna Mayor Blagomir Kotsev on 8 July, hours before a critical municipal budget vote.
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The arrest, executed with apparent legal violations and coinciding with Bulgaria’s eurozone entry, is seen as a deliberate attempt to seize democratically elected power.
Further irregularities include the case being heard in a Sofia court rather than Varna, the refusal to transfer it, and the Sofia Court of Appeals’ decision to uphold Kotsev’s detention despite a key witness retracting testimony. The signatories condemn this as a judicial travesty, arguing that the prosecution’s ability to choose courts undermines judicial independence and recalls Soviet-era legal abuses.
EU context: a broader fight against authoritarianism
The signatories warn that pro-Russian influences are enabling a hybrid governance model, shielding violations of EU sanctions on Russian energy, misusing EU funds, and allowing unchecked budgetary expenditures by governments wavering between EU and Russian interests. This, they argue, fuels corruption, public alienation, and Russian propaganda.
The letter echoes the European Commission’s 2025 Rule of Law Report, which criticizes Bulgaria’s systemic failures in combating corruption and ensuring judicial independence. The signatories assert that targeted attacks on the pro-European opposition aim to block reforms addressing these issues.
Call for EU intervention
The signatories urge EU institutions to act decisively:
- Investigate Delyan Peevski for destabilizing Bulgaria post-eurozone accession, a perceived Kremlin priority.
- Support pro-European civil society against oligarchic and pro-Russian governance.
- Condemn political repressions, particularly Kotsev’s baseless detention.
- Link EU funding to judicial reforms to address systemic issues.
- Strengthen the European Public Prosecutor’s Office and scrutinize Bulgaria’s prosecution service for obstructing justice.
- Monitor democratic deformations and impose sanctions on those guilty of corruption and undermining EU values.
“The European Union is a community built upon democracy and the rule of law. If these principles are trampled in one member state, the integrity of the entire Union is threatened. Therefore, we insist on solidarity and decisive action”, the signatories write.
Caption: Protest in Sofia against the arrest of the mayor of Varna Blagomir Kotsev, Facebook page of Jean Crombois.
Updated: July 19, 2025 - 08:40
