How corrupt is Bulgaria? Corruption index, EU rule-of-law report and judicial reform in 2026

Bulgaria is perceived as the most corrupt EU member state together with Hungary. In Transparency International’s Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) 2025, published on 10 February 2026, it scored 40 out of 100 and ranked 84th of 182, its worst score since 2012 and five points lower than two years earlier, BTA and BNT reported. The CPI measures how experts and businesspeople perceive public-sector corruption; it does not count proven cases.

Where does Bulgaria rank on corruption?

According to BTA, the EU average in the 2025 index was 62. Transparency International linked the drop to the closure of the Anti-Corruption Commission, delays in appointing heads of regulators, stalled reforms and weak enforcement. Politicians disagreed on the causes: Continue the Change leader Assen Vassilev pointed to the December 2025 budget protests, while BSP MP Nataliya Kiselova cited the expired mandates of the Supreme Judicial Council (SJC) and its Inspectorate, BTA reported.

What did the EU’s 2026 Rule of Law Report say about Bulgaria?

The European Commission published its report on 17 July 2026. BTA summarised the assessment of the 2025 recommendations as follows:

Recommendation	Progress (2026)
Limit long-term secondment of judges	No progress
Reform the Supreme Judicial Council	No progress
Track record in high-level corruption cases	No progress
Quality of the legislative process	No progress
Effective Anti-Corruption Commission	Some progress
Transparency of state advertising	Some progress
Integrity rules for top executive functions	Limited progress
Reform of the SJC Inspectorate	Fully implemented

BNR, which focused on the six justice and anti-corruption points, also reported “no progress on four of six” and noted that a new law re-establishes the Anti-Corruption Commission.

What happened with Prosecutor General Sarafov?

Borislav Sarafov, acting Prosecutor General since June 2023, stepped down with immediate effect on 22 April 2026, three days after the early parliamentary election, Sofia Globe reported. Critics had argued his tenure was unlawful under a six-month limit for acting heads; Sarafov said he had faced “unfounded and unlawful pressure”. On 27 May 2026 he also resigned as head of the National Investigation Service, and the SJC’s Prosecutorial College made him an ordinary investigator.

Prime Minister Rumen Radev called it “a start that our society has long awaited”, adding it was only the beginning of judicial reform (BTA). Interior Minister Ivan Demerdzhiev said the resignation “is not a reform”. Democratic Bulgaria’s Atanas Slavov wanted disciplinary proceedings to go ahead first, GERB’s Stefan Arsov called it “a personal decision”, and Vazrazhdane’s Peter Petrov said Sarafov “has no place in the judicial system”, BTA reported.

What judicial reforms are planned?

On 22 May 2026 Radev said the form of the Judicial System Act adopted by MPs “is crucial” (BTA). Changes to the SJC, whose mandate has expired, are under debate; check parliament.bg for the final text. Background: Bulgarian politics explained, the 2026 parliamentary election and the Peevski sanctions case.

Is Bulgaria a democracy?

Yes. The EIU classes Bulgaria as a “flawed democracy” with 6.34/10 in its 2025 index, unchanged from 2024, according to the EIU table compiled on Wikipedia (as of October 2026).

What it means for Varna residents and visitors

These indices describe national institutions, not everyday safety. Locally, the Varna mayor case is part of the same debate. The presidential runoff on 1 November is covered in our runoff explainer.