In brief
Yes, Bulgaria has announced an appeal against the Central Election Commission’s decision that Prime Minister Rumen Radev’s on‑air statement did not breach the Election Code. The appeal targets the commission’s refusal to address more than 105 complaints about the use of government channels to support presidential candidate Iliana Iotova, with party leaders arguing the commission’s inaction shields those in power. The CEC’s ruling came after a narrow 8‑to‑7 vote and a critique that the Prime Minister’s remarks, released via the Council of Ministers’ official media, effectively served as campaign material.
Yes, Bulgaria has announced it will file an appeal against the Central Election Commission’s (CEC) ruling that Prime Minister Rumen Radev’s post‑first‑round statement did not violate the Election Code.
The party says the CEC fled the issue of whether the official website and press service of the Council of Ministers can disseminate a PM’s call for a specific presidential candidate, refusing to rule on more than 105 complaints from NGOs and political parties about the use of government channels to support Iliana Iotova.
According to the YEP statement, the CEC majority, formed by representatives from Progressive Bulgaria and Vazrazhdane, “did everything possible to avoid answering the question of whether it is permissible for the official website and press service of the Council of Ministers to disseminate Prime Minister Rumen Radev’s call to support a specific presidential candidate.”
In the board’s 8‑to‑7 vote, the CEC decided the PM’s remarks did not constitute an administrative violation of the Election Code. The decision was based on the timing of the statement, made after the first round (October 26) and before the official campaign period, and because it was posted via the Government Information Service, a state‑owned outlet.
Alina Dobreva and Vyara Todeva of the CEC voiced objections, arguing that the dissemination of the statement through the Council of Ministers’ communication channels turned the remarks into campaign material.
Yes, Bulgaria concludes that the CEC must not become an institutional shield that protects those in power from scrutiny, and that the commission’s independence obliges it to apply the law equally to everyone.
The appeal will be filed immediately, the party said, accusing the commission of shifting responsibility and avoiding a difficult decision that could expose the ruling elite to legal scrutiny.
