Von der Leyen: Bulgaria’s Anti-Corruption Reforms Unlock Major EU Cash & Strategic Power!

Added: 2026-05-31

[00:00:01]Prime Minister Radf, it's a great pleasure to welcome you again to the Berimon.

[00:00:09]This has been a very important year for Bulgaria since January. The euro is bringing benefits to Bulgaria, making payments and travel easier for people, and it is allowing companies to take full advantage of our common single market. Two out of three Bulgarian consider that the transition to the euro has been smooth and efficient and this is a shared success.

[00:00:36]Congratulations also on your win in the parliamentary elections.

[00:00:42]It can bring much needed stability to the Bulgarian people but also to the region.

[00:00:49]Today we have exchanged views on several strategic priorities to ensure our long-term prosperity and shared security.

[00:00:59]First, we of course discussed many of the upcoming reforms.

[00:01:04]Our next generation EU program is bringing real impact on the ground.

[00:01:10]Thanks to it, Bulgaria has already received nearly€3.3 billion e in funding.

[00:01:17]But we all know that there is the deadline in August 2026.

[00:01:22]So the goal is to unlock resources by then and for this we must maintain momentum on reforms.

[00:01:31]Here I want to highlight the good progress that Bulgaria has made in anti-corruption.

[00:01:38]The establishment of the anti-corruption commission is key to effectively pursue corruption at all levels. And what really matters is that it can do its work in an independent manner.

[00:01:52]In this context, I very much welcome that the legislative process is already way well well underway.

[00:02:01]Your government is there for delivering on this significant milestone.

[00:02:07]Another important step in anti-corruption is the reorganization of the prosecutor general's office.

[00:02:13]The aim is to strengthen its position for successful anti-corruption investigation and both pillars together will allow to unlock almost€370 million euros of suspended funding for Bulgaria. This is good news for Bulgaria. It's good news for Europe as anti-corruption is a key deliverable for the European Union.

[00:02:38]The second big reform topic we have discussed is making the Bulgarian energy system fit for the future. There will be a strengthening of the profitable part of the stateowned Bulgarian energy holding in particular the part that is producing clean energy.

[00:02:57]The reform is a major step for the improvement of the Bulgarian energy system. Here the commission will play its part. We will support you and the region with the just transition fund because the clean energy transition must be benefit every part of Europe and reach every citizen with the new jobs, growth and investment that go with it.

[00:03:22]The reform is linked to important resources for Bulgaria also under next generation EU and in total there are€1.2 2 billion euros in the plan for the clean energy investments in Bulgaria.

[00:03:36]Then we also spoke about the next long-term budget. We need a modern, flexible budget that empowers our regions, that supports our farmers, that protects our citizens. It is vital that we reach a comprehensive agreement of the MFF before the end of this year.

[00:03:56]We also discuss geopolitics.

[00:03:59]We share a firm commitment to reach a lasting and diplomatic solution for the Middle East. And finally, we spoke about the security challenges on our borders and Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine.

[00:04:13]From air raid alerts to Russia's deliberate hybrid attacks, the security threats on our eastern border are testing Europe as a whole. And Bulgaria has a crucial role to play in our collective defense, in particular in our eastern flank watch. We will support Bulgaria with more than 3.2 billion euro under safe we just discussed and we are ready to sign this loan agreement with Bulgaria at any time. So, dear Roman, I look forward to our continued cooperation and to discussing many of these critical topics in our European Council sessions.

[00:04:55]The floor is yours.