Tag: judicial independence in Bulgaria

How the CJEU Passed Off a Hot Rule of Law Potato

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On 30 April 2025, the CJEU handed down its much-anticipated judgment in joined cases C‑313/23, C‑316/23, C‑332/23, which, among other pertinent questions on the GDPR, concerns the compatibility of Article 19 TEU and Article 47 of the EU Charter with a situation in which the members of a judicial inspection body have de facto remained in office indefinitely. Regrettably, however, the highly formalistic ruling will hardly make a difference in Bulgaria from where the preliminary references originated. It fails to address the underlying rule of law challenges faced by both the Judicial Inspectorate and the Supreme Judicial Council in Bulgaria at their core. As such, the judgment is a missed opportunity – an attempt to hand off a hot “rule of law” potato.

You can read my full commentary for the Verfassungsblog here.

Is Bulgaria’s Rule of Law about to Die under the European Commission’s Nose?

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While the President of Bulgaria’s Supreme Court Lozan Panov laments the disintegration of the country’s rule of law, the European Commission praises the country’s progress in the same area. What is the price of complicity?

On 17 April 2019, the President of Bulgaria’s Supreme Court of Cassation Lozan Panov was the keynote speaker at a yearly event dedicated to court independence. Since his appointment as the highest-ranking judge in Bulgaria, Panov has been outspoken about the abuses to which he has been subjected because he refuses to comply with political orders. The speech he gave at this conference, however, stands out due to its pessimism.

You can read my article dedicated to Judge Panov’s speech for the Verfassungsblog here.