The head of the Bulgarian Socialist delegation to the European Parliament Christian Vigenin asked a sharp question to European Chief Prosecutor Laura Kovesi about possible external interference in the selection of a Bulgarian prosecutor to the European Prosecutor's Office. He was provoked by the leaked recording related to former investigator Petyo Petrov, known as Petyo Euroto. Vigenin raised this issue during the debate on the 2024 report on the work of the European Public Prosecutor's Office at a joint meeting of the Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs (LIBE) and the Committee on Budgetary Control (CONT) in the European Parliament.
“The recording raises serious questions about possible external interference, financial agreements and political pressure in the appointment of a Bulgarian prosecutor to the European Public Prosecutor's Office“, Vigenin pointed out and stressed that for more than a week there has been no reaction from either the institution or the prosecutor Teodora Georgieva herself.
"In view of the high ethical standards that prosecutors of the European Public Prosecutor's Office must follow, do you consider this silence acceptable? What concrete steps will you take to ensure that this case will not undermine trust in the institution?" - asked Vigenin.
The MEP asked whether the European Public Prosecutor's Office has an internal mechanism to guarantee the integrity of delegated prosecutors not only upon their appointment, but also during their work.
In response, Laura Köveşi explained that an investigation is currently underway in relation to events that may have occurred before the appointment of a European Delegated Prosecutor from Bulgaria. For this reason, she cannot comment on the specific case. However, Köveşi assured that the European Public Prosecutor's Office has various mechanisms to guarantee ethical standards and discipline among its prosecutors. According to her, the institution applies strict rules and procedures that ensure transparency and integrity in the work of delegated prosecutors. She assured that there are mechanisms for transferring cases between prosecutors, as well as the possibility of replacing supervising prosecutors if necessary. Köveşi stressed that the European Public Prosecutor's Office strictly adheres to the highest ethical standards in order to guarantee trust in the institution.
For contact with the Group of the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats in the EP: https://www.socialistsanddemocrats.eu/
