EU Parliament to Debate Bulgaria’s Rule of Law After Varna Mayor’s Arrest

The European Parliament is set to hold a debate in Strasbourg next week focusing on the state of the rule of law in Bulgaria, scheduled for October 22. The discussion follows the arrest of Varna Mayor Blagomir Kotsev and was prompted by the “Renew Europe” group.

Bulgaria is represented within this group by three MEPs: Nikola Minchev and Hristov Petrov from “We Continue the Change” and Ilhan Kuchuk from the DPS. The debate reflects ongoing concerns over governance and political influence within Bulgaria’s institutions.

Last month, Valerie Hayer, the leader of “Renew Europe” in the European Parliament, sent a formal letter to the European Commission urging the suspension of payments to Bulgaria under the Recovery and Resilience Plan. Aye cited persistent issues with the rule of law and accused the Anti-Corruption Commission of being used for political purposes.

In response, the European Commission withheld roughly 200 million euros from Bulgaria’s second tranche of funds, citing insufficient reforms in the Anti-Corruption Commission as the reason for the delay. The upcoming parliamentary debate is expected to address these broader concerns regarding Bulgaria’s adherence to rule-of-law standards.