site.btaJustice Minister Awaits Acting Prosecutor General's Reply before Deciding on Nomination

Justice Minister Nikolay Naydenov is awaiting a response from Acting Prosecutor General Vanya Stefanova before deciding whether to nominate a candidate for acting Prosecutor General, the Justice Ministry press service said on Friday.

On October 7, Naydenov sent Stefanova a letter requesting the names of all prosecutors heading departments at the Supreme Cassation Prosecution Office, information on which of them had given written consent to be nominated for the post, and personnel records for those who had agreed.

The letter did not name any candidates, and no response has been received so far. Naydenov will decide whether and how to exercise his legal authority only after receiving the requested information, the ministry said.

The minister has the right to nominate a candidate, not to elect one; the final decision rests entirely with the Plenum of the Supreme Judicial Council (SJC). The six-month term of the current acting Prosecutor General expires on October 22, 2026, the ministry said.

The SJC Prosecutors Chamber had sought consent from only one person, largely predetermining the choice. Naydenov believes the law allows for more than one candidate, which would ensure competition, transparency and accountability in the process.

On October 7, the SJC Prosecutors Chamber proposed prosecutor Magdalena Lazarova-Prodanova for the post. If she agrees, the proposal will be put to a vote by the SJC Plenary. She is currently deputy prosecutor general and the next in seniority, the BTA report said.