Published on: 23.09.2025 | Author: Dr. Dimitar Keranov
There Is No Corruption in Bulgaria
When Prime Minister Rosen Zhelyazkov told students at the University of National and World Economy in Sofia that the perception of corruption is greater than the reality, it sent the wrong signal. Independent data points elsewhere: Bulgaria ranks 76th globally on Transparency International’s 2024 Corruption Perceptions Index—among the lowest in the EU—and nearly half of Bulgarians (48%) say corruption increased in the previous 12 months.
It does not end there. Press-freedom monitors place Bulgaria 70th of 180 countries in Reporters Without Borders’ (RSF) Index, citing the use of SLAPPs against journalists. In July 2025, RSF condemned a ruling against investigative reporter Boris Mitov as a SLAPP with a chilling effect. Meanwhile, the arrest of Varna mayor Blagomir Kotsev—viewed by many as politically motivated—was widely reported and remains contested in the public sphere. These are not “perceptions,” but warning signs of democratic erosion, with corruption as the main driver.
Dismissing corruption as exaggeration risks normalising a status quo in which state and oligarchic interests blur, while accountability weakens. The EU’s muted response only deepens the trust gap. Pretending corruption is not a problem will not make it disappear. One can only hope Prime Minister Zhelyazkov begins to perceive this.
