The US Embassy in Bulgaria has publicly supported citizens who are protesting to demand the resignation of Prime Minister Boyko Borissov.
“Every nation deserves a judicial system that is impartial and accountable to the rule of law. We support the Bulgarian people who promote the rule of law in Bulgaria. No one is above the law,” they wrote on Facebook.
They also commented that demonstrations and protests are “a sign of a colourful and vibrant civil society.”
Bulgaria is experiencing the biggest anti-government protests in seven years following a corruption scandal. It was revealed that oligarchs had been exercising control over state institutions such as the judiciary and security forces. The main targets of the demonstrators are the Prime Minister and the country’s Chief Prosecutor Ivan Geshev.
The government has been described as exerting a “mafia model of governance” and enabling “state capture”.
Borrisov is considered the main ally of German Chancellor Angela Merkel and EU leaders have avoided any criticism, despite the scandal being public.
While US relations with Bulgaria are delicate. The two countries are NATO allies and the United States has conducted joint exercises with Bulgarian forces, but Washington also has concerns about the country’s deep historical ties with Moscow and the delay in the process of diversifying energy sources away from Russian energy supplies.
