Venice commission demands a substantial reform of the Prosecutor’s Office
The Prosecutor’s Office took heavy blows on three separate occasions this week from different European institutions. For its twelve years as EU member, the Bulgarian prosecution has received the most criticism by far from the EU. It is also the champion structure in terms of consistently ignoring all recommendations for reform. The heart of this resistance lies with the Prosecutor’s Office and the position of Prosecutor General. Both bare the fundamental traits of their predecessors: the all-powerful prosecution from communist times.
In fact, Bulgaria’s justice system was far from ready to be part of the EU. It needed much reform, most of all in the prosecution, which - naturally had the most incentive to keep its powers intact. The compromise was the so-called cooperation and Verification Mechanism, which would monitor the justice system, oversee and guide the process of reforms. In its over-decade long work regarding Bulgaria, the CVM has failed. The most repeated and key recommendation in all reports to date has been the same. Solve the problem of the unaccountability and almost above-the-law status of the Prosecutor General. To no avail.
Bulgaria will have a new Prosecutor General form January. His candidacy sparked protests from its announcement in July. The protests are ongoing, still, after his election. Geshev is the current Prosecutor General Sotir Tsatsarov’s protege. He ran unopposed, which caused the president to veto his election: a move the president could only do once. The Supreme Justice Council repeated the vote in less than a week.
Ivan Geshev has graduated the police academy and is not just a continuation of Tsatsarov’s line of using the Prosecutor’s Office as a tool for political pressure. He is a far more severe and radical modification of his predecessor, which is clear from his flair for raids, over-the-top punitive measures and the now-famous quote he gave on national TV that he is not a particular fan of the separation of powers. His appointment was an explicit message to Bulgaria’s EU partners that the Prosecutor’s Office does not intend any changes in its conduct over the next seven years. On the contrary.
It seems the European institutions received the message loud and clear. This week Ivan Geshev attended a hearing at the European Parliament on corruption. He received harsh questions from MPs. One MP stated Geshev’s very presence compromises the hearing. He got roasted with questions regarding different cases in Bulgaria and the efficiency of the Prosecutor’s Office in handling them. His answers were vague and unconvincing.
In fact, Bulgaria’s justice system was far from ready to be part of the EU. It needed much reform, most of all in the prosecution, which - naturally had the most incentive to keep its powers intact. The compromise was the so-called cooperation and Verification Mechanism, which would monitor the justice system, oversee and guide the process of reforms. In its over-decade long work regarding Bulgaria, the CVM has failed. The most repeated and key recommendation in all reports to date has been the same. Solve the problem of the unaccountability and almost above-the-law status of the Prosecutor General. To no avail.
Bulgaria will have a new Prosecutor General form January. His candidacy sparked protests from its announcement in July. The protests are ongoing, still, after his election. Geshev is the current Prosecutor General Sotir Tsatsarov’s protege. He ran unopposed, which caused the president to veto his election: a move the president could only do once. The Supreme Justice Council repeated the vote in less than a week.
Ivan Geshev has graduated the police academy and is not just a continuation of Tsatsarov’s line of using the Prosecutor’s Office as a tool for political pressure. He is a far more severe and radical modification of his predecessor, which is clear from his flair for raids, over-the-top punitive measures and the now-famous quote he gave on national TV that he is not a particular fan of the separation of powers. His appointment was an explicit message to Bulgaria’s EU partners that the Prosecutor’s Office does not intend any changes in its conduct over the next seven years. On the contrary.
It seems the European institutions received the message loud and clear. This week Ivan Geshev attended a hearing at the European Parliament on corruption. He received harsh questions from MPs. One MP stated Geshev’s very presence compromises the hearing. He got roasted with questions regarding different cases in Bulgaria and the efficiency of the Prosecutor’s Office in handling them. His answers were vague and unconvincing.
Източник: mediapool.bg
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