Political controversies emerge in Moldova and Bulgaria

In Moldova, Deputy Ion Chicu has criticized Prime Minister Vasile Tofan following the circulation of a photograph from an event. The image featured decor with the inscriptions ‘CEO VASILE TOFAN’ and ‘REPUBLICA MOLDOVA S.A. – The Board Meeting’. Chicu accused the Prime Minister of treating the country as a private joint-stock company.

In Bulgaria, the Presidency has responded to allegations made by Asen Vasilev, leader of the ‘Continue the Change’ party. Vasilev claimed that in 2022, then-Vice President Iliana Iotova granted a pardon to Ognian Tanasov, a convicted drug trafficker known as the ‘Escobar of Petrich’. Vasilev noted that the reasons for the pardon were not communicated and the decree was not published in the Official Gazette.

The Bulgarian Presidency stated that information regarding the case is available in the public Register of Pardoned Persons, though names are withheld to comply with data protection laws. The Presidency added that pardon decrees are not published in the Official Gazette per law and that the decision was made based on recommendations from the Pardon Commission regarding health-related grounds. Tanasov’s sentence had previously been interrupted for two years due to health issues.