site.btaUPDATED PM Zhelyazkov: New Counter-Corruption Commission Composition Key to EU Recovery Funds

There are clear conditions for forming a new composition of the Counter-Corruption Commission, which is a prerequisite for Bulgaria to receive its second and third payments under the National Recovery and Resilience Plan, Prime Minister Rosen Zhelyazkov said during a press briefing in Burgas.

This government continues its work without betraying public trust, and with the support of the parliamentary majority, the necessary legislation is being adopted, allowing the economy to stay on a positive trajectory, the Prime Minister stated. “At this point, the idea of dissolving the Counter-Corruption Commission emerges—and it’s being proposed by the very pioneers who initially pushed for a new composition of the Commission,” he added.

"We are raising the alarm: chaos lies ahead,” Zhelyazkov said and pointed out that only days ago, Bulgaria submitted a request for EUR 620 million in EU funds, tied directly to meeting European Commission conditions for the appointment rules of the Counter-Corruption Commission. He noted that Bulgaria had even elected an Ombudsman, one of the nominating bodies under the new selection mechanism. “We reported this step as completed. We’re now expecting the payment. And suddenly, Continue the Change – Democratic Bulgaria (CC-DB) are pushing to shut down the Commission, and it appears the votes are now there to do so,” Zhelyazkov added.

He also confirmed that for Bulgaria to receive the third EU payment of EUR 1.2 billion, the European Commission requires the appointment of a new Counter-Corruption Commission leadership. “We already have candidates submitted, and the nominating committee is being formed. All conditions are in place for the Commission to be reconstituted soon,” he said.

Zhelyazkov criticized recent inquiries by CC–DB MEPs Nikola Minchev and Radan Kanev to the European Commission, which questioned whether the delay in forming the Counter-Corruption Commission risks the release of EU funds. The prime minister countered with a rhetorical question:

“Perhaps they should also ask the Commission whether there is a risk of losing the second and third payments if their own idea—to dissolve the Commission—is adopted by the Bulgarian Parliament, without prior approval from Brussels, despite this contradicting their own Recovery Plan commitments.”

According to Zhelyazkov, those commitments were designed by CC–DB and form the basis of the reform milestones that Bulgaria must meet in order to access EU recovery funds.

Earlier in the day, Delyan Peevski, leader of MRF – New Beginning, announced on Facebook that he will submit a proposal to dissolve the Counter-Corruption Commission. He plans to push for a vote in the National Assembly next week in two readings.

Atanas Atanasov, co-chair of Democratic Bulgaria, also commented on the matter on national TV, describing the Commission as a harmful and redundant institution that should be abolished.

Meanwhile, the Vazrazhdane party issued a statement, saying that the Counter-Corruption Commission has not effectively combated corruption, regardless of its composition over the years.