The European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO) has just celebrated the third anniversary of the start of its operations. As a country frequently shaken by scandals implicating abuses of EU funds and known for rampant corruption, Bulgaria provides ample opportunities for the EPPO to show its teeth. Sadly, however, this institution has little to boast with in Bulgaria – it seems to have fallen victim to the country’s long-standing challenges in the area of the rule of law. Without implementing changes ensuring less biased appointment procedures for European Delegated Prosecutors (EDPs) from Bulgaria and without resolving Bulgaria’s rule of law challenges first, the EPPO’s legitimacy and work will always be under question. In other words, while hoping to be a tiger, the EPPO will remain a domesticated cat in Bulgaria until reforms take place.

My latest analysis for the Verfassungsblog can be found here.