Caretaker Justice Minister Andrey Yankulov stated on Monday that the judicial system should not remain under an acting Prosecutor General whose tenure he deems contrary to law and morality. Commenting on Sunday’s elections, Yankulov noted that the results clearly favored Progressive Bulgaria while marking a significant setback for established political entities associated with the judiciary’s perceived corruption. For Yankulov, translating the public’s evident support for judicial reform into concrete political action is a crucial task for Bulgaria’s future.
He suggested that the poor showing of parties invested in maintaining the status quo indicates that citizens view reform as an inevitability. “I would like to believe that restoring legality in the running of the prosecution service will be the first small step of change,” the minister stated. Yankulov emphasized that this initial step should not be delayed pending the election of a new composition for the Supreme Judicial Council (SJC).
While the swift election of the SJC is important, he stressed that procedural correctness must take precedence over speed. This is necessary to ensure that only honest professionals are selected who will prioritize the public interest over party influence within the judicial system. The minister criticized the SJC and its Prosecutors’ College, suggesting they had ample opportunity over the past two months to recognize the situation and act with professional dignity.
He warned that if they fail to do so, the new parliament might address the issue through standard legislative action early in its first sessions. These remarks followed the Ministry of Justice’s publication of a working analysis on the competency model for senior judicial administrators in early April.
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