Good morning,
The European Parliament’s civil liberties committee is out of touch with reality.
On Thursday, the committee convened to discuss the rule of law in the EU, delivering lofty speeches emphasising its significance, frequently referencing Article 2 of the EU Treaty.
Yet, in a striking contrast, they had also invited a Bulgarian MP who praised his country’s efforts in combating corruption.
"I have the honour to share with you the concrete results our country has achieved in strengthening the rule of law over the past year," Georgi Nikolaev Krastev, a member of Bulgaria's centre-right Gerb party told the committee.
For instance, he insisted that Bulgaria’s anti-corruption commission was now fully functional and equipped with investigative powers. However, skepticism remains widespread.
Even the European Commission, which had last month suspended around €200m in payments over concerns about the commission’s independence, on Thursday expressed serious doubts.
Just hours later, Bulgaria’s prime minister Rosen Zhelyazkov stepped down amid mass anti-graft protests across the country. Zhelyazkov had formed a minority coalition in January 2025 after Gerb won October 2024's elections without a clear majority.
Gerb, the party led by former prime minister Boyko Borissov, has faced fierce criticism from protesters in Bulgaria. Demonstrators have targeted Borissov, whose Gerb-led coalition depends on the backing of oligarch Delyan Peevski, who was sanctioned by the United States for corruption.
Meanwhile, in the committee, Kristian Vigenin, a socialist Bulgarian MEP, offered a mild pushback to Krastev's claims. Neither mentioned the protests erupting in the streets of Sofia and elsewhere in their opening remarks.
Aside from some questions by liberal MEPs Raquel García Hermida-van der Walle and Nikola Minchev, the issue of Bulgaria was largely left alone, even as tens of thousands of young Bulgarians rallied against corruption and toppled a government.
- Nikolaj Nielsen, home affairs editor
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