The debate on the state of the rule of law in Bulgaria, held today in the European Parliament in Strasbourg, sparked a wide discussion among Bulgarian MEPs, reports the BTA correspondent from the scene. The initiative for the discussion came from the "Renew Europe" group, which underlines the growing interest in the legal framework in the country.
The reason for the debate, which took place in the plenary hall, is the arrest of the mayor of Varna, Blagomir Kotsev, on July 8, 2025. This event, which happened recently, seems to have catalyzed attention to the situation in Bulgaria. The atmosphere in the hall in Strasbourg was tense, with MEPs from different political forces expressing their positions.
The "Renew Europe" group plans to send a fact-finding mission to Bulgaria to get acquainted with the state of the rule of law in the country. The mission foresees visits to Sofia and Varna, after which a report will be prepared and presented to the European Commission. This is a serious step that underlines the commitment of the European institutions to this issue.
MEP Andrey Kovachev from (GERB/EPP) expressed his strong disagreement with the position of "We Continue the Change". "I find it extremely incorrect, even irresponsible for "We Continue the Change" to link the work of the Bulgarian institutions on an investigation, which is still ongoing, with stopping payments under the Recovery and Resilience Plan," he said to BTA. He stressed that he finds it worrying that "We Continue the Change" is insisting with its partners from "Renew Europe" on stopping payments to Bulgaria, which he called wrong and shameful.
Nikola Minchev from the "Renew Europe"/"We Continue the Change – Democratic Bulgaria" group commented that the fact that the topic was debated in the plenary hall testifies to the interest in it. According to him, MEPs have something to say and hear. He noted that he was not surprised by the positions expressed by the different political groups in the European Parliament. Minchev emphasizes that putting the topic of the rule of law in Bulgaria on such a high institutional forum is a success.
MEP Ivaylo Valchev from the European Conservatives and Reformists / "There Is Such a People" group expressed the opinion that the debate on the rule of law was unnecessary. He explained that the discussion took place only because the rules of procedure of the European Parliament allow political groups to put questions for discussion. According to him, this issue has not been agreed upon by the Presidential Council and does not represent interest or importance.
Stanislav Stoyanov from the "Europe of Nations and Freedom" /"Revival" group commented on the debate as a "parade of hypocrisy". According to him, the debate reveals double standards, considering similar cases from the recent past. He pointed out that about one-fifth of the parliamentary group of "Revival" are defendants for participating in civil protests, with the oldest cases dating back to 2020.
Independent MEP Elena Yoncheva said that what she observed in the European Parliament was "a partisan debate, brought by the "Renew Europe" group." She noted that the group took advantage of a rule of the European Parliament that allows such discussions. Yoncheva stressed that this is a debate without a resolution and a vote, which means that it does not reflect the position of the parliament. For this reason, according to her, the hall was practically empty.
During the debate, Christian Vigenin, MEP from the Group of the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats/BSP, stated that the "Renew Europe" group is hysterizing the problems that Bulgaria is facing. According to him, the solution is not in political campaigns or debates in Strasbourg, but in systematic constructive work between the ruling party and the opposition in Sofia.