site.btaRenew Europe Condemns Arrest of Varna Mayor Blagomir Kotsev, Demands His Release, Reports Continue the Change

The Renew Europe group in the European Parliament, of which Continue Change is a part, strongly condemned the growing attack on democratic institutions and the rule of law in Bulgaria, illustrated by the politically motivated arrest of Varna Mayor Blagomir Kotsev, the press centre of the Continue the Change (CC) party reported.

“This arrest, carried out under questionable circumstances just hours before a key vote on the municipal budget, represents a clear case of political persecution and a dangerous abuse of state power against the opposition,” the position stated.

“The continuing attacks on democratic standards and the open use of the judiciary to crack down on political opponents in Bulgaria are deeply worrying,” the statement added, noting that this is a direct attack on European values and called on the Bulgarian authorities to immediately release Blahomir Kotsev and to put an end to “this political oppression”.

Europe cannot remain silent when the rule of law is threatened within our Union, said Valérie Hayer, Chair of Renew Europe, quoted by the CC press centre. “We must consistently and resolutely defend our democratic principles wherever they are under threat,” the Renew Europe head argued.

MEPs from Renew Europe insisted that the issue of the rule of law and corruption in Bulgaria be raised at the highest institutional level. Hayer called on the EU institutions to urgently condemn this arrest. 

Renew Europe vieweed the arrest of Mayor Kotsev as part of a broader pattern of state capture in Bulgaria in which the Prosecutor's Office and the Anti-Corruption Commission are increasingly becoming instruments of political repression instead of impartial guardians of justice, the CC added.

“The deliberate coincidence of this arrest with the celebrations of Bulgaria's accession to the eurozone shows a cynical strategy to divert attention and hide the retreat from democracy behind positive headlines,” the position paper adds.

Renew Europe recalled the warnings of the Rule of Law Report 2025 on Bulgaria's continued failure to guarantee the independence of the judiciary and tackle high-level corruption. The events in Varna are a stark illustration of these unresolved structural problems and confirm the urgent need for stronger EU mechanisms to protect democratic standards, the CC press office reported.

Renew Europe stands in full solidarity with the Bulgarian opposition and with all citizens who are fighting for democratic integrity. The group called on the European Parliament and all EU institutions to condemn this gross case of political persecution and to demand the immediate release of Mayor Kotsev, CC said. 

The Sofia City Court detained  Varna Mayor Blagomir Kotsev, two municipal councillors Yordan Kateliyev and Nikolai Stefanov and businessman Ivaylo Marinov. A few days ago, the four were charged and detained for 72 hours in an investigation of corruption in Varna. The Sofia City Prosecution Office asked the court to impose permanent arrest on them.