Balgarianovinite.com Experts discussed various forms of corruption and put forward recommendations for countering them at a public discussion in Sofia organized by the Center for the Study of Democracy (CSD) in connection with the presentation of its latest report, “Safeguarding the Foundations: Strengthening Institutions Against State Capture”.
The discussion examined the institutional architecture of state capture in Europe and the specific characteristics of the phenomenon in Bulgaria. The report focused on the institutional capacity needed to protect the state from capture by political and economic networks and from external influence. Participants also reviewed findings from the Corruption Monitoring System, which has tracked corruption pressure and participation in corrupt practices over nearly three decades.
Head of the European Commission Representation in Bulgaria Yordanka Chobanova said that nearly 71% of Europeans believe corruption is widespread in their country, marking the second-highest level recorded since Eurobarometer began measuring the indicator in 2013. She added that 69% of Europeans believe high-level corruption cases in their countries are not investigated or punished effectively, while in Bulgaria the figure stands at 76%.
Chobanova noted that the architecture of anti-corruption legislation in the European Union is undergoing significant changes. She said that work on the anti-corruption directive proposed by the European Commission in 2023 is at an advanced stage. The new rules are intended to ensure that laws and courts across all 27 EU member states interpret and treat corruption offences in a similar way, thereby strengthening the effectiveness of investigations and prosecutions.
CSD Programme Director Ruslan Stefanov highlighted the important role of the European Union as a partner of Bulgaria in anti-corruption efforts. He noted that the United States had long been one of the pillars of the international anti-corruption system but had recently reduced its engagement in this area, making the EU an even more important partner.
Senior analyst Ralitsa Daskalova presented the latest findings of the Corruption Monitoring System for 2026, according to which direct corruption pressure affects more than 41% of citizens, while participation in corrupt practices exceeds 34%.
“These figures mean that four out of every ten Bulgarians who interacted with the public administration over the past year were asked for a bribe, and three of them agreed to pay one,” Daskalova said.
She stressed that the findings reflect a broader problem of institutional distrust. According to the survey, distrust is particularly high toward the judiciary, with eight out of ten Bulgarians believing that prosecutors and judges are connected in some way to corruption. Such perceptions contribute to the normalization of everyday administrative corruption, she added.
CSD Research Director Todor Galev said that state capture in Bulgaria is fragmented and manifests itself through the manipulation of rules, the allocation of resources and the exercise of power. According to him, closed informal networks dominate not only the judiciary, executive and legislative branches but also sectors that rely heavily on public funding, including energy, telecommunications, real estate, construction and healthcare.
Martin Vladimirov, Director of CSD’s Geoeconomics Programme, argued that “strategic corruption” has become a key instrument for reshaping the international liberal order. He said it relies on informal networks seeking control over strategic assets and the conclusion of asymmetric agreements that can later be used as leverage for influence and pressure.
Dimitar Markov, Director of the CSD Legal Programme, called for a comprehensive long-term judicial reform. Among the recommendations he outlined were transparent and competitive procedures for appointments within the judiciary and regular public reporting on the progress of cases of significant public interest. Corruption Pressure in Bulgaria Reaches 41%, Experts Call for Stronger Safeguards Against State Capture 2026 THE NEWS FROM BULGARIA – NEWS AGENCY 2009-2025 2026-06-12 10:43:28 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