Bulgaria’s National Assembly has officially closed the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC), ending its short-lived existence and leaving questions about the future of anti-corruption efforts in the country. The decision was passed on Wednesday by the still-acting ruling majority, composed of GERB, DPS-New Beginning, BSP, and TISP, without any debate from the ruling parties in the plenary hall. The most vocal during the discussions were members of “We Continue the Change–Democratic Bulgaria” (WCC-DB), who remained divided: WCC pushed for reforming the commission, while DB proposed its closure, which ultimately did not gain majority support. The nationalist party Revival criticized both the ruling coalition and WCC -DB for cooperating with GERB and DPS in the Denkov cabinet.

The Anti-Corruption Commission in its current form was created in late 2023 after WCC-DB, GERB, and DPS split the former Commission for Combating Corruption and Illegally Acquired Property (CCAC) into two separate bodies, amid suspicions that it had been used for political purposes. The ACC’s actions against opposition mayors in summer 2025 fueled public dissatisfaction, with the commission signaling to its European Parliament group that the ruling majority itself was leveraging it to target political rivals. The closure was initially demanded by DPS leader Delyan Peevski, with GERB later submitting a bill to abolish the body in mid-January, which the parliamentary majority supported.

The closure of the ACC has significant political implications. It removes an institution perceived as vulnerable to undue influence from figures such as Peevski and GERB leader Boyko Borissov. Borissov has frequently criticized the commission’s actions, particularly the extended detention of Varna Mayor Blagomir Kotsev from WCC-DB, and previously signed a call for the resignation of ACC acting chairman Anton Slavchev, even though GERB had supported leaving him in the post a year earlier.

Under the new legislation, the ACC’s investigative powers will be transferred to the General Directorate for Combating Organized Crime (GDBOP) within the Ministry of Interior, currently headed by Daniel Mitov of GERB. Tasks related to detecting conflicts of interest and preventing corruption will now fall under the Court of Auditors, which already underwent a politically influenced leadership change in 2023, with Dimitar Glavchev from GERB replacing Tsvetan Tsvetkov - a move later deemed unconstitutional.

Initially, the ruling majority proposed that the ACC hand over archived operational cases to the State Agency for National Security (SANS) and destroy the remaining databases. Following opposition objections, this plan was partially revised: no data will be destroyed, but the information will remain with SANS rather than being transferred to GDBOP. SANS itself is currently led by a temporary chairman, Denyo Denev, appointed by GERB and DPS against the preference of former President Rumen Radev. This highlights the ruling party’s continued influence over intelligence and law enforcement structures.

The closure of the ACC may also have financial consequences. Bulgaria’s Recovery and Resilience Plan (RRP) included the establishment of an independent anti-corruption body as a condition for EU funding. So far, failures to fully implement reforms have cost the country 367 million euros, and experts warn that abolishing the ACC without proper evaluation could lead to further financial losses. Bilyana Gyaurova-Wegertseder from the Bulgarian Institute for Legal Initiatives noted that, under RRP rules, annulled or partially fulfilled measures may require repayment of funds. Former prosecutor Andrey Yankulov criticized the lack of analysis or assessment of the commission’s work before its closure, emphasizing the absence of public oversight.

During parliamentary discussions, only Petar Petrov from Revival presented statistics on the ACC’s work. He noted that most signals of conflict of interest resulted in no violation findings, with no prosecutorial refusals challenged in 2025. In 2024, the commission spent 1.9 million leva on cases it lost in court, dropping to 1.2 million leva in 2025.

The amendments to the Law on the Court of Accounts, which formalized the closure of the ACC, transferred remaining functions to existing institutions. The Court of Auditors will now handle conflict-of-interest checks and manage declarations of public officials’ property, while GDBOP will investigate corruption cases. The specialized directorates of the ACC: “Corruption Prevention,” “Public Register,” and “Conflict of Interest” - will see their staff reassigned to the Court of Auditors or GDBOP, depending on available positions. Unfinished administrative and pre-trial proceedings are to be completed by the Court of Auditors and the competent investigative authorities.

Critics from the opposition warn that the closure reflects a fear of an independent judiciary by GERB and DPS. Lena Borislavova of WCC described the move as a politically motivated attempt to undermine accountability, asserting that the rapid closure prevents meaningful reform. She also highlighted potential repercussions under the Recovery Plan, as Bulgaria may be forced to return funds allocated for reforms that began but remained incomplete. GERB’s Georgi Krastev countered that the bill was drafted with input from the ACC itself, while BSP’s Natalia Kiselova stressed that the broader issue remains the country’s ability to effectively fight corruption, prevent conflicts of interest, and ensure accountability.

With the ACC’s closure, Bulgaria now relies on existing institutions to carry out anti-corruption work, raising concerns over transparency, independence, and the country’s compliance with European standards.