PP-DB MP Stoyu Stoev has argued that the latest amendments to Bulgaria’s Judiciary Act do not amount to genuine judicial reform, claiming instead that they preserve existing political influence over the composition of the Supreme Judicial Council.
Speaking on BNT, Stoev said that proposals aimed at changing how the judicial governance body is formed were systematically rejected during the legislative process. “All proposals for judicial reform - for real changes in the way the judiciary functions - were rejected or postponed for an unknown time,” he said, adding that initiatives from both his party and “Democratic Bulgaria” were removed between readings.
He stressed that the current structure still allows significant political control, particularly through parliamentary appointments to the council. “Unfortunately, it is not a mistake of language when I say that this is a party quota,” Stoev noted, arguing that half of the council members selected by parliament creates space for political influence.
According to him, opposition proposals to introduce clearer and more independent selection standards were also dismissed. He said no meaningful new criteria were added to the legal framework, warning that the system remains vulnerable to repeating past problems in judicial appointments.
