The Prosecutor General must be a person with high morals, impeccable professional expertise and understanding of the prosecutor's office as an institution of law, and not to be identified with it. This was stated by Prosecutor Vladimir Nikolov in the program “Offensive with Lyubo Ognyanov“ on NOVA NEWS.
Nikolov is a candidate for a member of the Prosecutorial College of the Supreme Judicial Council. According to him, the competition between the candidates and the presence of more than one candidacy would help to select the most suitable person for the leadership of the prosecutor's office.
„However, there must be guarantees that the election will ensure the normal functioning of the institution until the appointment of a chief prosecutor“, Nikolov said.He pointed out that the future head must be able to accept criticism and distinguish his powers from political processes and his media image. According to him, the procedure for selecting members of the SJC must be transparent and based on clear professional criteria.
Question about the dates of the elections
The election of the prosecutorial college of the SJC is scheduled for October 24, and the presidential elections are on October 25. Nikolov warned that the coincidence could lead to lower voter turnout in the election of prosecutors' representatives.
The candidate also questioned why the current composition of the SJC had scheduled the election of prosecutors' representatives first, instead of that of investigators. He did not specify a specific reason for this sequence.
Proposals for the management of the prosecution service
In his concept, Nikolov proposes strengthening professional self-governance and creating a clear mechanism to protect prosecutors from pressure both from outside and within the system. Among his ideas is that the general meetings of prosecutors should have a decisive role in the election of administrative heads.
He also insists on a specific mechanism for accountability and responsibility of the representatives of the professional community in the SJC. According to Nikolov, when evaluating candidates and assessing possible pressure on magistrates, violations of professional ethics and integrity, as well as specific data on pressure on colleagues, should be taken into account.
Vladimir Nikolov is a prosecutor at the Pleven District Prosecutor's Office. He began his career as a junior prosecutor, then served as a prosecutor, deputy district prosecutor, and administrative head of the Pleven District and District Prosecutor's Offices. In 2026, he defended his dissertation on the topic of "Criminal Law Protection of the Election Process" and received a "doctor" degree in criminal law.
Sources: nova.bg, bta.bg