“Borislav Sarafov's resignation somewhat shows that a different wind is blowing, that changes are expected and that he has no intention of remaining on the sidelines and defending the status quo, which no longer has political backing. But the reform is yet to come.“ This was stated by the Bulgarian MEP from the Group of the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats in the European Parliament, Christian Vigenin, in a comment on the topic of judicial reform and the resignation of Borislav Sarafov.
According to Vigenin, there is a risk that the changes will remain only on the surface, if there is no real political will for a deep transformation of the system. “There is a certain risk that this will simply be the beginning of a regrouping in the system, because it is also capable of this. But everything depends above all on the political will of the majority“, he warned.
According to him, the important question is not only who will occupy the leading positions, but what people and according to what criteria will be elected to the Supreme Judicial Council and what signal will be sent to the system itself. “The question of how the system itself will respond from within is also important, because changes at the top are important, but what process will begin within the judicial system is even more important”, Vigenin commented. He pointed out that so far critical voices in the judicial system have often been under pressure, which is why the current moment could prove to be a turning point. ”The question is whether this change at the top will open up an opportunity for the system to start cleaning itself from within. This is the big challenge”, the MEP believes.
Kristian Vigenin is of the opinion that the reform cannot be left solely in the hands of politicians: “We cannot wait for MPs or prime ministers alone to solve the problem. The change must also come from the people in the system themselves, who want it to work normally.“
When asked whether Sarafov should remain in the system as a regular investigator, Vigenin replied that any checks against him should continue. “The fact that he no longer holds these positions does not mean that he cannot be investigated and checked. What has been started, in my opinion, is logical to continue“, he believes. In his words, if violations are found, there must be responsibility.
On the topic of illegal construction near Varna, Vigenin expressed serious doubts about the origin of the funds for the construction of the sites. “Which investor would invest so much money in something that he knows is illegal?“, he asked rhetorically. According to him, the case bears clear signs of corruption and political patronage, since the institutions were informed, but the construction continued.
„This means that this is money that most likely stems from smuggling, from mafia deals. When the institutions knew about it - both the local government, and the National Agency for National Security and National Defense, and the Ministry of Environment and Waters - and yet everything continued, well, who puts up a patronage and puts themselves at risk if they are not sufficiently well compensated?“, the MEP asked rhetorically. „The whole scheme must be completely unraveled“, said Vigenin. He commented that the clearest sign that there is order in the country would be if the illegal construction was removed or confiscated for public needs.
The MEP touched on the issue of measures against high prices and the economic situation in the country. According to him, a balance must be sought between consumer protection and business support. “We must not allow certain measures to punish small and medium-sized businesses, which are already under serious pressure in a difficult economic situation. We must not go to extremes“, he warned.
Vigenin also commented on the topic of visa-free travel to the US and linking it to the deployment of American aircraft in our country.“Such an approach is illogical and will not lead to results“, he said and explained that the abolition of visas depends on clear criteria, mainly related to the percentage of visas refused. “For me, the more important issue is another - Bulgarian society does not have enough information about what exactly is happening with the aircraft deployed in our country, what missions they perform and whether there are risks for Bulgaria. First, we need complete transparency and second - let's say that the BSP is categorically against these aircraft being stationed there“, he said. According to him, Bulgaria should not be involved, even indirectly, in a war that does not have an adequate ending, and we should not feel involved in it in any way.
Regarding the foreign policy situation and the war in Ukraine, the MEP pointed out that Europe needs a new approach and a stronger emphasis on diplomacy. “The European Union does not have a clear plan for a peaceful solution. I can sympathize with what Radev said that Europe needs a new policy, that the European Union does not have a plan for Ukraine. And in order to have such a plan, Europe must start talking more actively about diplomacy, and not just about military support. In order to have a plan and peace, the European Union must also start talking with Russia. This will happen sooner or later, it is inevitable”, concluded Christian Vigenin.
To contact the Group of the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats in the EP: https://www.socialistsanddemocrats.eu/