Today, in the building of the Council of Ministers, Prime Minister Rumen Radev and the Minister of Justice Nikolay Naydenov officially presented the section “Justice“ of the Program for Governance of the Republic of Bulgaria for the period 2026-2030.
The two outlined an ambitious and comprehensive national plan for radical changes in the judicial system, which aims to end fragmented legal initiatives and restore justice for citizens and businesses. According to the Prime Minister, judicial reform is not just another item on the agenda, but a prerequisite for the country's existence as a normal and democratic state.
The main highlights of Prime Minister Rumen Radev's speech
Prime Minister Radev began his speech with sharp criticism of the way in which changes have been carried out in the judiciary in recent years. According to him, for a long time the reform has been transformed from a national goal into hollow political slogans. His statement, quoted by the BGNES News Agency and Eurocom Television, emphasized the transition to a unified strategy with clear political responsibility and accountability.
The Prime Minister highlighted several key goals:
- End of the Mutren times: Radev stated categorically that the state umbrella over individuals from organized crime is falling and the state is fully assuming its functions.
- Restoring Legitimacy: Ensuring integrity in personnel decisions and drastically reducing informal influences and dependencies in the judiciary.
- Return of presidential powers: The government will propose changes that would restore the rights of the head of state to freely choose and appoint the composition of the service cabinets.
- Preserving cash payments: As an important anti-crisis measure to guarantee personal freedom, the right to pay in cash will be enshrined in the Constitution. Radev cited as an example European countries that advise their citizens to have cash on hand in case of possible energy or network failures.
Minister Nikolay Naydenov: "Merchants of justice have no place in the temple of Themis"
Justice Minister Nikolay Naydenov detailed the legislative framework and announced that within a few weeks the Ministry of Justice will present a large-scale draft for amendments to the Judiciary Act (JSA). According to a report by the Bulgarian National Television (BNT) and publications on Nova TV, Naydenov emphasized that the current urgent changes were aimed solely at terminating the activities of the current Supreme Judicial Council (SJC) and its Inspectorate, which have been operating outside their mandate for too long.
The Justice Ministry's plan is based on legitimacy, integrity and modernization, including stricter criteria for selection and career development of magistrates, limiting long-term business trips and transparent selection of leadership positions in the judiciary. Protection against external pressure will be ensured through a confidential whistleblowing form on the ministry's website. In his address, quoted by Vestnik Kapital, Minister Naydenov called on magistrates not to succumb to addictions, and the full text of his statement can be found in the relevant sources.
Reactions of political forces in parliament
The proposals provoked various comments in the National Assembly:
- The Governing Majority: Expressed strong support, emphasizing that the moment is historic to eliminate long-standing dependencies in the system.
- Opposition parties: Expressed skepticism about the president's powers and demanded real convictions against corruption, with political debates set to intensify after the bills are officially introduced.