site.btaEuropean Parliament to Debate Ongoing Assault on Democratic Institutions and Rule of Law in Bulgaria

On Wednesday, October 22, at 2.30 p.m. EET, the European Parliament will hold a debate (without putting a resolution to the vote) titled “The ongoing assault on the democratic institutions and the rule of law in Bulgaria”, the Continue the Change (CC) party said in a press release on Tuesday. The debate, requested by the Renew Europe political group, is expected to last between 60 and 90 minutes.

According to the CC statement, this will be the first time at the highest European level that the issue of the capture of Bulgaria’s judiciary and the GERB party by Delyan Peevski (MRF-New Beginning leader), who has been sanctioned under the US Global Magnitsky Act for corruption, will be formally discussed.

Leading European political figures, including Valerie Hayer, Chair of the Renew Europe Group in the European Parliament, Svenja Hahn, President of the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe (ALDE), and Sophie Wilmes, former prime minister of Belgium, are expected to urge the EU to take a serious look at the situation in Bulgaria.

The European leaders initiating the debate are calling for the release of Varna Mayor Blagomir Kotsev and other detained opposition representatives, the restoration of institutional independence and the rule of law, as well as for the protection of EU funds from political misuse.