# Seven Candidates vie for Bulgarian European Prosecutor Role
- The mandate of Teodora Georgieva, who has been suspended for months due to an inquiry, expires at the end of July
- The final appointment is made by the Council of the EU
The Ministry of Justice has announced seven candidates for the position of Bulgarian European Prosecutor.
The current European Prosecutor, Teodora Georgieva, will see her mandate expire on July 29, 2026. Though, she is currently suspended pending the outcome of an investigation, the completion date of which remains uncertain. The Bulgarian European Prosecutor is based in Luxembourg,at the central office of the institution led by Laura Köveshi,who recently visited Bulgaria for the opening of the European Prosecutor’s Office’s new building in Sofia.
Among the candidates are three currently serving as delegated European prosecutors: Dimitar Belichev, head of the Sofia office; svetlana Shopova; and Mihaela Raidovska. The remaining candidates are Ivaylo Iliev, an assistant to Bulgaria’s representative in Eurojust; Plamen Petkov, deputy head of the Sofia District Prosecutor’s Office; Desislava Pironeva, former deputy to Ivan Geshev; and Boyko Atanasov, a perennial candidate.
Both Pironeva and Shopova previously applied for the European Prosecutor position in 2020, alongside Teodora Georgieva. Pironeva withdrew her candidacy at that time, while Shopova was ranked second.
The selection process, announced in November, accepted applications until December 12th and unfolds in two stages:
First, an eligibility check of applicants is conducted,
followed by a hearing for those who meet the criteria. The selection committee will determine who will be invited to the hearing, scheduled for Thursday. The seven-member committee is chaired by Deputy Minister of Justice Stoyan Lazarov and includes Veronika Imova and Tsvetinka Pashkunova from the Judicial College of the Supreme Judicial Council, Kalina Chapkanova and Gergana Mutafova from the Prosecutor’s College, Venera Milova, Chief Secretary of the Ministry of Justice, and Prof. Georgi Mitov from Sofia University.
According to regulations, the commission will submit three nominations, listed in alphabetical order, along with a report from the Minister of Justice. These nominations will then be presented to the Council of Ministers for approval before being forwarded to the relevant EU institutions. European Public Prosecutors are appointed by the Council of the EU for a six-year term.
Desislava Pironeva, who served as deputy chief prosecutor during Ivan Geshev’s tenure, is a well-known figure among the candidates.
She has over 20 years of experience as a magistrate,
having previously worked as an investigator and a prosecutor.
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