Balgarianovinite.com Changes to social security contribution rules will not reduce the salaries of judicial employees, and claims that around 2,000 jobs will be cut are unfounded, Justice Minister Nikolay Naydenov said in an interview with Bulgarian National Television.
Naydenov said judicial employees and magistrates had already received a 5% pay increase at the beginning of 2026 and that compensation mechanisms accompanying the new social security contribution rules would ensure their incomes remain unchanged. He added that the Justice Ministry would carry out a functional review before considering any structural reforms, stressing that the ministry’s administration is not comparable in size to the judiciary.
He said Bulgaria’s judicial budget is among the largest in the European Union relative to gross domestic product, exceeding EUR 700 million. He argued that responsibility for how those funds are spent lies with the Supreme Judicial Council (SJC), which he said should improve the efficiency of its operations.
Naydenov said he had asked the finance minister to initiate inspections into several public procurement contracts awarded by the SJC after concerns were raised over possible irregularities. He cited as an example a contract worth about EUR 600,000 for maintaining an information system that he said was not operating effectively. He added that an analysis of public procurement data had identified additional contracts, mainly in construction and e-government projects, where there were suspicions of inflated prices or tenders designed to favour predetermined contractors.
He also announced plans to meet judicial employees across all appellate regions to explain the planned changes and address their concerns.
Among his first actions following the latest amendments to the Judicial System Act, Naydenov said he had asked the Prosecutors Chamber of the Supreme Judicial Council to temporarily suspend Emilia Rusinova, administrative head of the Sofia City Prosecution, while disciplinary proceedings against her are ongoing. He argued that allowing her to remain in office could affect the impartiality of the investigation, particularly given that the Sofia City Prosecutor’s Office handles cases of significant public interest, including those involving magistrates and politicians.
Naydenov said reports alleging contacts between Rusinova and fugitive businessman Petyo Petrov, widely known by the nickname “Pepi the Euro”, provided sufficient grounds for a full investigation. He added that every magistrate must demonstrate the highest standards of integrity and transparency.
According to the minister, his request does not conflict with the legal restrictions imposed on the Supreme Judicial Council after the expiration of its mandate. He said those restrictions apply only to certain personnel decisions and do not limit the council’s disciplinary powers.
Naydenov also criticized the prolonged functioning of the SJC beyond the end of its mandate, saying it had negatively affected the judiciary. In his view, a number of appointments made in recent years had raised questions about their legality and impartiality.
He stressed that the latest amendments to the Judicial System Act do not amount to comprehensive judicial reform but are intended to create the legal framework for electing a new Supreme Judicial Council. The Justice Ministry is already preparing a broader package of legislative amendments that will address key aspects of the law, he added.
Responding to criticism of the new rules governing the parliamentary quota in the election of SJC members, Naydenov rejected claims that non-governmental organizations had been stripped of the right to nominate candidates. He said any organization would be able to propose nominees, provided they are subsequently submitted by members of parliament who support them.
The minister also dismissed criticism that candidates for the SJC would no longer be required to declare membership in secret societies. He said the requirement remains in force through the Act on Countering Corruption, which obliges candidates to disclose a much broader range of information, including membership in secret organizations, financial interests, bank accounts, travel and other potential conflicts of interest or dependencies.
Naydenov also rejected criticism of the procedure for selecting members of the new Anti-Corruption Commission, saying every parliamentary group had been free to nominate candidates but some had chosen not to do so. He therefore described allegations that the process lacked competition as unfounded.
Commenting on media reports linking the leader of the Movement for Rights and Freedoms Delyan Peevski and Constitutional Court Judge Desislava Atanasova to flights on a private jet, Naydenov said all magistrates and constitutional judges should conduct themselves in a manner consistent with the high public expectations attached to their office. He said such reports naturally raise serious public questions and added that responsibility for appointing constitutional judges ultimately rests with the political forces that supported their nomination. Justice Minister Defends Judiciary Reform, Rejects Criticism of New Rules 2026 THE NEWS FROM BULGARIA – NEWS AGENCY 2009-2025 2026-07-04 18:23:39 Latest news World news Country news Most important news latest news most important latest of the day Justice Petar Nizamov Feathers Petar Nizamov- Feathers Justice bg iustitia.bg iustitia iusticia usticia investigation Burgas Bulgaria news news of the last hour news of the day news of today Bulgaria news The news from Bulgaria blitz news top news most important most commented latest news Boyko Borisov news weather coronavirus news news weather facebook youtube facebook instagram news today news of the last minutes news today today news news bg news leading news hot news bg news site for news all news news bg news of the last hour latest latest news bg news of today news today news today news of the last hour latest news today news bg news news 24 hours news vesti bg novini news world bird bg bivol bg bivol trud bg novini latest news today novinite bg news hello bulgaria political party coat of arms delyan peevski scandalous Bulgarian National Television Free Europe Television scandal exclusive live tv live right now tv tv online tv program bg live now tv news online tv online live court Burgas court Burgas district court Burgas court Burgas district court Burgas district court Burgas appellate court Burgas prosecutor Burgas prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Prosecutor General Ivan Geshev Prosecutor Geshev Tsatsarov Ministry of Internal Affairs Burgas ODMR Burgas ODPR Burgas police Burgas district police Burgas prosecutor Tsatsarov SGS cases Varna court chairman of the SGS court decisions on civil cases decisions on cases Plovdiv court decision of the court decisions cases Varna court criminal cases district district court decisions work in the court SGS chairman of the SGS judges Sofia court post judges Plovdiv court Plovdiv judges Plovdiv Supreme Court Inspectorate Supreme Court Supreme Judicial Council lawyer lawyer criminal cases lawyer civil cases lawyer marriage cases lawyer administrative criminal law criminal process civil law civil process administrative law constitutional law