Bulgaria

Since 2018, Bulgaria faced extensive political instability amidst widespread civic action against government corruption. In 2021, Bulgaria held three separate parliamentary elections as a result of failed government formation, which finally concluded when a new political party focused on anti-corruption secured a government mandate. IFES partners with civil society in Bulgaria to shift incentives around implementation of international and regional anti-corruption standards and commitments, including those issued by the Council of Europe’s Group of States against Corruption (GRECO) and the European Union, including on challenges such as judicial integrity and the misuse of state resources.

For the last four years, IFES has supported good governance and the fight against corruption in Bulgaria, while also engaging state institutions in peer exchanges on cybersecurity in elections and election administration. IFES works with the Bulgarian Institute for Legal Initiatives (BILI). BILI focuses on preventing abuse of state resources in elections and improving training for auditors and political party financial managers in coordination with the National Audit Office, clarifying criteria for judicial remunerations in cooperation with the Supreme Judicial Council and strengthening judicial mentorship programs and judicial ethics training in coordination with the National Institute of Justice.