Europe’s liberals demand EU freezes funds to Bulgaria over imprisoned mayor
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Liberal MEPs are calling on the European Commission to suspend payments to Bulgaria after the arrest of Blagomir Kotsev, the liberal mayor of Varna. In a letter to the Commission, Renew Europe chair Valérie Hayer accused Sofia of using the country’s independent anti-corruption body as a political weapon against opponents.
“The most alarming evidence of this institutional perversion is the imprisonment of Blagomir Kotsev, the democratically elected mayor of Varna,” Hayer wrote, arguing that the case represents a direct assault on EU democratic values.
Kotsev was detained in mid-July on charges of embezzling public funds, triggering widespread protests in Bulgaria. His political allies claim the arrest was politically motivated.
The Commission is currently reviewing Bulgaria’s request for €653 million under the EU’s Recovery and Resilience Facility (RRF). Sofia has already received €1.37 billion of its €6 billion allocation, with further disbursements tied to reforms on governance, democracy, and transparency.
The creation of the Anti-Corruption Commission was a key RRF condition, but Renew Europe says it is now being “subverted” to silence opposition figures.
A Commission spokesperson confirmed the assessment is ongoing but declined to comment on the Commission’s role while the review continues.
