/ world today news/ “All the hysteria surrounding the election of the president of the Supreme Court is the result of private and external interests that want to control positions in the judiciary.”
This was stated by Borislav Tsekov from the Institute for Modern Politics in the “More of the Day” program on NEWS 7 television. “The Supreme Judicial Council resisted an unprecedentedly harsh corporate-political pressure from the oligarch Ivo Prokopiev, his corporate media and websites, puppet NGOs and politicians. Not to mention that these NGOs act as representatives of foreign interests, with the exception of Misho Ekimdzhiev’s organization, which is outside of these commitments. They received more than 2 million BGN from “America for Bulgaria” – that is, from a foreign country supposedly to support the judicial reform, and they are lobbying for specific candidates both now and before for the SJC and for the chief prosecutor.
“Don’t talk to me about the French ambassador! This is complete outrage. If in Bulgaria there are a hundred or ten “rotten apples” in the judiciary, in proportion to the population there are a similar number of “rotten apples” in the French judiciary. Let the French ambassador go and fix it. I say this as a Bulgarian lawyer and I do not accept foreign diplomats to behave here as governor-generals, because they neither have that level, nor are they the people who will give wisdom to Bulgaria. Moreover, France is by no means a model of a good judicial system and democracy – a country that only a few decades ago massacred 1 million people in Algeria. Said the French ambassador! Let us not be a banana republic. Let’s behave with dignity as politicians, as an academic community, as a magisterial community, NGOs and experts – we are not a banana republic. It’s enough that they dictated to us from the outside who should be elected, and here like crazy ladybugs, 5-6 puppet groups run around plowing the ortalak, and the moment they pull the counter, they stop and start singing another song. Enough already! Let’s behave with dignity as Bulgarians and Europeans who want to make the key decisions sovereignly. We agree with partners, we accept all the best. But ultimately, the decisions must be ours. They should not be taken neither in Washington, nor in Brussels, nor in Moscow – but here, in Sofia, including for the judiciary!”
Tsekov explained that from a constitutional point of view, the president has the right to decide whether to issue a decree appointing Lozan Panov as chairman of the Supreme Court. “It is his discretion. If he returns the candidacy, then the SJC could vote on it again, and the president would now be acting in bounded competence and would be required to issue a decree of appointment. “It’s good to have public consultation, I’ve always supported that. But it depends on whether these consultations will be broad-based or encapsulate only the convenient experts and NGOs that I have indicated,” stressed Borislav Tsekov.
According to him, the election of Lozan Panov is completely legitimate and transparent, and the arguments with which the group of related NGOs and media around the oligarch Prokopiev are trying to dispute it are untenable. “The choice, this group says, was ‘pre-decided.’ Well naturally, when there is a favorite who is known to have more support, the choice is expected. Just because there is a favorite does not mean the choice was unfair. No one has put forward any serious arguments against the professional reputation and training of Mr. Panov, as well as the other candidate,” Tsekov emphasized.
He pointed out that the report of the European Commission is objective and fair. “He even sounds bored that Bulgaria is not able to reach an agreement between the various parties and circles in society on the course of the judicial reform. The report is neither a praise for the quadruple coalition cabinet nor a compliment for the opposition.”
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Concerns surrounding the ambassador’s comments. While international relations are important, the sovereignty of our judicial selection process should be respected. The ambassador’s involvement may create perceptions of external control, which could further escalate tensions within the political landscape.
As a website editor for world-today-news.com, I would like to conduct an interview with two experts on the current political climate regarding the election of the president of the Supreme Court in Bulgaria. Our guests today are Dr. Petar Todorov, a prominent political scientist from Sofia University, and Mr. Borislav Tsekov, a legal expert and head of the Institute for Modern Politics. Mr. Tsekov was recently interviewed regarding the topic on NEWS 7 television.
Section 1: The Role of Private and External Interests in the Election Process
Interviewer: Good morning, Dr. Todorov and Mr. Tsekov. Thank you for joining us today. Borislav, you recently stated that the hysteria surrounding the election of the president of the Supreme Court is due to private and external interests trying to control positions in the judiciary. Can you expand on that?
Mr. Tsekov: Of course. It’s no secret that powerful groups and individuals, both within Bulgaria and abroad, seek to influence political and judicial processes to further their own agendas. In this case, we have seen oligarchs, media outlets, and even foreign actors attempting to sway the election in their favor. This type of interference undermines the sovereignty of our nation and threatens the integrity of our judicial system.
Dr. Todorov: I agree with Mr. Tsekov on this point. However, I believe that it is not just about private and external interests; there is also a significant role played by partisan politics. The current ruling party has their preferred candidate, and they are using their influence to push for his appointment. This leads to mistrust and doubts among the public regarding the fairness of the process.
Section 2: The Role of the French Ambassador
Interviewer: What is your opinion on the French ambassador’s remarks on the election? Do you believe his comments were appropriate?
Mr. Tsekov: I think the French ambassador’s statements were ill-advised and inappropriate. Bulgaria is a sovereign nation, and we should not take direction from foreign powers, especially when it comes to matters of such importance as the appointment of the Supreme Court president.
Dr. Todorov: I understand the
