Justice Minister Georgi Georgiev told the National Assembly that Bulgaria is on the verge of a historic milestone. “In December this year, for the first time in 19 years, a date can be set for closing the monitoring of the ‘OMO Ilinden v. Bulgaria’ group of cases by the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe,” he stated.
The Minister personally attended the Committee of Ministers’ session in mid-September, where Bulgaria’s progress on the “OMO-Ilinden v. Bulgaria” cases was evaluated. The resolution adopted during the session acknowledged the significant achievements in implementing the necessary measures, concluding that no further individual actions are required regarding the general measures outlined in the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) decisions.
Between March and September this year, the Ministry of Justice issued new guidelines for associations on registration procedures and conducted training for more than 150 magistrates and registration officials. Georgiev emphasized that the cases focus solely on the protection of the right to association, and not on the recognition of a Macedonian minority – a point often misrepresented by politicians from the Republic of North Macedonia.
The Minister also highlighted a broader development: the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) decided to end Bulgaria’s post-monitoring mechanism after 26 years. Forty-four out of 45 member states supported abolishing the monitoring of Bulgaria, with the only dissenting votes coming from representatives of the Republic of North Macedonia.
Georgiev criticized the stance of former Justice Minister Nadezhda Yordanova, who abstained from supporting the abolition despite previously working diligently to implement reforms aimed at ending the monitoring. “Her behavior is currently inexplicable,” Georgiev said, questioning whether narrow party calculations should override national interests.
Looking ahead, Georgiev stressed that Bulgaria’s efforts to strengthen the rule of law would continue. He noted that the National Assembly is currently considering legislative proposals from the Ministry of Justice to amend the Criminal Procedure Code. These amendments would create explicit grounds for the Prosecutor General to annul a decree terminating criminal proceedings, reinforcing accountability and legal oversight.
The United Macedonian Organisation Ilinden–Pirin (OMO Ilinden–Pirin) is a political entity in Bulgaria advocating for the recognition of the Macedonian minority and the protection of their cultural and linguistic rights. Established in 2001, the organization has faced repeated refusals by Bulgarian authorities to register it as a legal entity, citing concerns over national security and public order. These denials have been challenged in the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR), which has ruled that Bulgaria’s actions violate the right to freedom of association under the European Convention on Human Rights. Despite these rulings, the Bulgarian government has been criticized for not fully implementing the ECHR’s decisions, leading to ongoing tensions and international scrutiny regarding minority rights in Bulgaria.