EU says Bulgaria's anti-corruption progress to unlock $430M in suspended funds

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen on Thursday praised Bulgaria for its progress in anti-corruption reforms, saying these steps will facilitate the unlocking of almost €370 million (approximately $430 million) in EU funding that had been previously suspended.

Speaking alongside Bulgarian Prime Minister Rumen Radev in Brussels, von der Leyen highlighted Sofia's efforts to strengthen the rule of law and pursue reforms tied to European Union support mechanisms.

"I want to highlight the good progress that Bulgaria has made in anti-corruption," von der Leyen said, pointing to the establishment of the Anti-Corruption Commission as "key to effectively pursue corruption at all levels."

Von der Leyen also underlined the importance of reorganizing the Prosecutor General's Office to strengthen anti-corruption investigations.

"Both pillars together will allow us to unlock almost €370 million of suspended funding for Bulgaria," she said, describing the development as "good news for Bulgaria."

The EU chief also congratulated Radev on his recent election victory, saying it could bring "much-needed stability to the Bulgarian people, but also to the region."

Von der Leyen stressed Bulgaria's importance for European defense, particularly on the eastern flank.

"We will support Bulgaria with more than €3.2 billion under SAFE (Scaled Agile Framework), which we just discussed, and we are ready to sign this loan agreement with Bulgaria at any time," she said.

Radev described his talks with von der Leyen as fruitful and said they came at "a critical moment for Europe” when the bloc needed “clear vision and stability."

He said Bulgaria now has "a stable reform-oriented, energetic government" committed to strengthening the rule of law and rooting out corruption after years of political instability.

The Bulgarian leader was in Brussels for meetings with top EU and NATO officials, including NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte earlier in the day and European Council President Antonio Costa later Thursday.