EXCLUSIVE: Soros‘s Man in Bulgaria Resurfaces in GERB-SDS Coalition Talks, Demands Full Control of Judicial Reform Stagnation: Bulgaria's Unfinished Agenda – A Fact.bg Exclusive</strong>"</p>”>Judicial System
In a surprising turn of events, Christo Ivanov, the Bulgaria representative of George Soros‘s network, has unexpectedly emerged in the coalition talks for the new government with GERB-SDS, Epicenter.bg has learned. True to form, Ivanov demanded total control of the judicial system.
During yesterday’s round of negotiations between the four formations of GERB-SDS, DB, BSP, and ITN, the drafts for the Law on Judicial System, which proved most contentious in aligning positions regarding the structure of the upcoming joint administration, were laid out on the table.
DB again brought out Ivanov’s controversial "reform" project for the judicial system, which had caused a stir during the presidency rotation in February 2024 and ultimately led to its collapse. Back then, as the co-chairman of the DB-PP, Ivanov had set a condition for rotation – it would only happen if GERB guaranteed the implementation of judicial reform within the next 9 months. This would essentially mean a personnel takeover of the judicial system by Ivanov’s close associates, which was rejected. Ivanov admitted that he wanted "his own chief prosecutor to be able to make arrests," jokingly stating he would start with the leaders of PP and work his way up to Boyko Borisov.
Following the fiasco and the poor election results on June 10, 2024, Ivanov resigned as the leader of "Yes, Bulgaria" and seemingly disappeared from the political scene. Rumor had it that he had gone to Brussels to join his wife. However, the participants in the current negotiations were taken aback to find him actively involved in drafting new legislative texts. DB even hinted that a leadership meeting with Borisov might be in order, and Ivanov could be invited – a proposition that caught other political actors off guard.
The proposed changes to the Law on Judicial System and the mechanisms for governing the country, as outlined in DB’s coalition agreement draft, are centered around key elements such as taking control of the prosecution, appointing a "suitable" chairperson for the Supreme Administrative Court, subjugating the Supreme Cassation Court, and seizing control of the regulators.
Most of the proposed texts were deemed scandalous by sources familiar with the negotiations, as they undermined the independence of the judiciary guaranteed by the Constitution. The drafts suggested that every judge could request the use of a Specialized Prosecutor’s Office, splitting the Supreme Judicial Council into two separate councils – the Supreme Prosecutorial Council and the Supreme Judicial Council, and allowing judges to overrule prosecution orders. These changes would grant the judiciary exclusive power, further marginalizing the prosecution, with the ultimate goal of derailing ongoing investigations against PP leaders.
It is worth noting that the Constitutional Court (CT) had struck down almost all the changes related to the judiciary system proposed by Ivanov and company in June 2024. The CT ruled that most of the norms concerning the judiciary should be adopted by the Grand National Assembly, not the ordinary one. The CT labeled the provisions splitting the Supreme Judicial Council into two separate councils, as well as those limiting the chief prosecutor’s powers and shortening their term to 5 years (which ultimately remained at 7 years, with the election of the chief prosecutor to be held by the Supreme Judicial Council) as unconstitutional.
Nevertheless, Ivanov has found legislative loopholes to circumvent the CT’s decision, enabling political control over the judiciary and using it as a political bludgeon against opponents.
DB’s long-term strategy appears to be securing entry into the GERB government (with PP’s consent), seizing legislative control of the judiciary, and then withdrawing from the cabinet a few months later to launch a purge against GERB leaders using their newly won levers of power.
"Soros, exiled from the whole world, is back in Bulgaria," legal experts astonishingly remarked upon reviewing the "new" drafts of the Judicial Reform Law. "For 10 years, Ivanov and DB have been taking Soros’s money for this judicial reform," reminded the former chair of the constitutional amendment committee, Radomir Chalakov. "Money from Soros can’t influence Bulgarian politics," Valentine Vacev firmly stated – yet the truth is that Soros’s money has indeed been shaping Bulgarian politics for years. Ivanov, with Soros’s financial backing, has persistently endeavored to dismantle the Bulgarian state.
Constitutional lawyer Georgi Markov bluntly stated, "We let a nobody – some random lawyer, Christo Ivanov,appointed by ‘America for Bulgaria,’ to dismantle the constitutional order in Bulgaria."
Now, with disbelief, everyone observes that DB is attempting to impose Ivanov’s judicial reform for the third time.
Meanwhile, negotiations for the coalition agreement are progressing. According to GERB’s Krdzhali regional leader, Cvetelina Karaiancheva, there is optimism that the next week might bring President Radev’s appointment of the GERB-SDS parliamentary group to form the new cabinet.
Stay tuned for further updates.
Epicenter.bg will continue monitoring the situation and provide you with timely and accurate information.
