site.btaLack of Accountability, Clear Communication Undermine Trust in Institutions, Experts Say

Insufficient accountability of institutions, lack of real traceability of public funds, and the gap between promises and results are among the main reasons for the erosion of trust in governance, the participants in the panel discussion Holding Power Accountable agreed, here on Tuesday. Iliana Ivanova, member of the European Court of Auditors, and Krum Zarkov, former justice minister, were the speakers at the discussion, moderated by Alexander Gerganov, director of the Sociological Programme at the Centre for the Study of Democracy (CSD). The event was part of the Fortifying Freedom: Defence and Democracy Dialogue conference, organized by the CSD.

Iliana Ivanova emphasized that the legal framework alone cannot build trust if it is not accompanied by consistency and transparency in implementation. “The lack of clear criteria, measurable goals, and traceability of funds leads to greater vulnerability to errors, fraud, and corruption,” she said, citing the difficulties in tracking financial flows when the countries themselves are beneficiaries of European programmes. According to her, “responsible governance begins with clearly defined goals and accountability to citizens, so that trust can be restored. The right framework is only the format; true trust comes from the real results that citizens see,” Ivanova added.

Former justice minister Zarkov said that the problem is not the lack of control mechanisms, but their implementation. "We have good tools, but when those who use them lack integrity, they become void of substance," he said. Zarkov added that both judicial and political control often do not function effectively, which leads to a sense of impunity and renders society defenceless.

The panel participants agreed that the accountability of those in power is not just a matter of laws, but of political culture and public pressure. According to them, restoring trust in democratic processes requires constant oversight by institutions, the media, and citizens, ensuring that authorities serve the interests of society as a whole rather than those of particular groups.