The Prosecutor General of the Republic of Bulgaria Ivan Geshev and his deputies Daniela Masheva, Desislava Pironeva, Krasimira Filipova and Borislav Sarafov held a meeting today, 09.02.2023, with a delegation from the European Reformists and Conservatives group in the European Parliament. The meeting was held on the initiative of the MEPs in the Palace of Justice in Sofia.
The current challenges to the rule of law in the EU countries and the security in the region in the context of the war in Ukraine were discussed. Emphasis was placed on the efforts of the Bulgarian law enforcement authorities to reduce migration pressure and the need for solidarity efforts in protecting the EU's external borders to counter illegal human and goods trafficking. "We are part of the same house. There is no way that problems in one part of the house could not create a danger of spreading to the whole house," Ivan Geshev said.
The Prosecutor General expressed concern about the condition of the judiciary in Bulgaria because of the political pressure on it, which reduces the potential of the law enforcement bodies and hinders their normal functioning. MEPs from the European Conservatives and Reformists Group supported the independence of the Bulgarian Prosecution Office and pointed out that Bulgaria is not the only EU member state where attempts are made to politically interfere in the activities of the judiciary.
The representatives of the European Parliament were also interested in the detected cases of espionage in favour of the Russian Federation and welcomed the efforts of the Prosecutor’s Office to counter the noxious Russian influence on the territory of the country and in the region. Prosecutor General Ivan Geshev stressed that Russian hybrid attacks in Bulgaria also manifest themselves in the form of cyber attacks, political and media influence.
The leadership of the Prosecutor's Office of the Republic of Bulgaria confirmed its readiness to continue the bilateral dialogue with representatives of the European Parliament on issues related to upholding the rule of law.