Seven Bulgarians Enter Race for European Prosecutor Post
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Seven candidates have formally submitted their documents to compete for the position of European Prosecutor representing Bulgaria. The applicants include Mihaela Raydovska, Dimitar Belichev, Svetlana Shopova-Koleva, Plamen Petkov, Ivaylo Iliev, Desislava Pironeva, and Boyko Atanasov. The submission window ran from November 24 to December 12, with all applications handed in to the Ministry of Justice.
The selection process is structured in two stages. First, a special committee, appointed by Justice Minister Georgi Georgiev, will meet on December 18 to review the eligibility of each candidate. Those deemed eligible will then be invited to a public hearing conducted by a seven-member committee led by Deputy Minister of Justice Stoyan Lazarov. Following the hearings, the committee will propose three candidates, listed alphabetically, whose nominations will be forwarded with the Minister of Justice’s report to the Council of Ministers for approval. The approved nominations are subsequently sent to the relevant European Union bodies for final selection.
European Prosecutors are appointed by the Council of the EU for a six-year term, with the next term scheduled to commence on July 29, 2026.
Eligibility requirements are defined under Regulation (EU) 2017/1939, which governs the European Public Prosecutor's Office (EPPO). Candidates must be active prosecutors, judges, or investigators with unquestionable independence. They must meet the qualifications necessary for senior judicial or prosecutorial roles, including at least 12 years of experience as mandated by Article 164, paragraph 7 of the Judicial System Act. Additionally, they must demonstrate practical expertise in the national legal system, financial investigations, and international cooperation in criminal matters.
Further European criteria include the ability to serve the full six-year term before turning 70, and fluency in English, which serves as the working language of the EPPO. All procedural announcements and updates are published on the Ministry of Justice and Supreme Judicial Council websites, with detailed information available in a dedicated section on the Ministry’s portal.
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