Investors Urge Bulgaria to Reform Judiciary

Ten commercial chambers representing the leading trade partners of Bulgaria, which have invested more than 20 billion euros direct in the country in the past two decades, have written to the Bulgarian authorities urging them to reform the courts.

The investors represent the interests of the US, Belgium, the UK, Germany, Italy, Spain, France, the Netherlands, Switzerland and Luxembourg.

The letter was sent to Prime Minister Boyko Borisov, Parliament Speaker Tsetska Tsacheva, President Rosen Plevneliev, Deputy Prime Ministers Rumyana Bachvarova, Tomislav Donchev, Meglena Kuneva and Ivaylo Kalfin and Justice Minister Ekaterina Zaharieva.

In it, the investors expressed concern over the latest developments concerning the long-awaited reform of the judiciary and the impression that there is a lack of the rule of law in the country.

This has dented confidence among investors and has led to the withdrawal of some investments from the country, the daily newspaper Dnevnik writes.

The foreign investors believe that there are professionals in the judicial system capable of carrying out the reform, but the political will needs to exist to implement it.