site.btaEuropean Chief Prosecutor Kovesi Urges Swift, Depoliticized Selection of Bulgaria’s Next European Prosecutor

The process of selecting Bulgaria’s next European Prosecutor should not be politicized and should be completed as quickly as possible in accordance with the applicable rules, European Chief Prosecutor Laura Kovesi said during a meeting with Bulgarian Justice Minister Nikolay Naydenov on Friday, the Justice Ministry's press service said. Kovesi stressed that delays in Bulgaria’s procedures would have a negative impact on the work of the European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO). The meeting was initiated by the Bulgarian side and took place at the European Chief Prosecutor’s office in Luxembourg.

Achieving a balance between speed, transparency and accountability in the procedure for nominating a European Prosecutor from Bulgaria is a key objective of the Ministry of Justice, Naydenov said during the meeting, according to the ministry.

The two sides also highlighted the importance of cooperation between the Ministry of Justice and the European Public Prosecutor's Office in strengthening efforts to combat VAT fraud.

On June 3, in a written reply to a parliamentary question from Democratic Bulgaria MP Atanas Slavov, published on the National Assembly’s website, Naydenov said that the indicative deadlines for selecting a new European Prosecutor from Bulgaria, as set out in Council of Ministers Decision No. 267 of April 9, 2026, cannot be met. The decision assigned the Minister of Justice responsibility for organizing the candidate selection procedure. Naydenov recalled that the caretaker government of Andrey Gurov had revoked Council of Ministers Decision No. 50 of January 21, 2026, which had approved three Bulgarian nominees for the position of European Prosecutor: Dimitar Belichev, Michaela Raydovska and Plamen Petkov. The same decision also launched a new selection procedure and set out the relevant deadlines and criteria.

The candidates nominated under the previous procedure subsequently challenged the decision in court. An administrative case has been opened before the Supreme Administrative Court, which will examine all appeals against Decision No. 267 in a single proceeding. A hearing is scheduled for June 10, the Justice Minister further stressed.

The mandate of Bulgaria’s first European Prosecutor, Teodora Georgieva, expires on July 29. She was temporarily suspended following the launch of disciplinary proceedings against her. Dimitar Belichev was appointed to serve as her deputy and acting replacement.

On May 17, Kovesi told Bulgarian television channel bTV that it would be highly detrimental to the EPPO if there were no Bulgarian European Prosecutor and the transitional period continued. She stressed that the future Bulgarian European Prosecutor should be independent and highly professional, while noting that the organization of the selection procedure was a matter for the Bulgarian authorities. Kovesi also pointed out that the appointment procedures in the other participating member states had already been completed.