Association
Improving Organisational Capacity in the Bulgarian Civil Society Sector
The Active Citizens Fund Bulgaria, a programme financed by Iceland, Liechtenstein, and Norway, recently underwent an external evaluation. The results were publicised in December 2024. The evaluation considered several aspects of the Fund, namely the relevance of the financial support, results achieved, and the sustainability of the programme. The report found that 92 percent of Fund recipients surveyed reported improved organisational capacity, which contributed to the programme objective: Enhanced Capacity and Sustainability of the Civil Society Sector. As in other EU member states in the region, the Active Citizens Fund has become the main programme of support for civil society initiatives.
Peaceful Assembly
Protesters Call for Justice Reform
A demonstration took place in the capital, Sofia, in December 2024 near the Ministry of Justice. This is the seventh such protest where the demonstrators demanded that the procedures for the election of a new prosecutor general and president of the Supreme Administrative Court be terminated. The protesters asserted that those responsible for electing the heads of these two state institutions within the Ministry of Justice no longer have that right, as their mandate had expired. Therefore, the demonstrators called for the state to reform the electoral procedures for these two positions.
Expression
Anti-LGBTQI+ Laws Threaten Freedom of Expression
A negative trend regarding freedom of expression and civic space in Bulgaria in recent months has been the proliferation of legislation affecting LGBTQI+ rights, including a proposed law that targets LGBTQI+ people and related civil society organisations. In December 2024, members of the ruling coalition introduced a proposal to amend the Child Protection Act which would prohibit access to and dissemination of information related to gender identity and self-expression that does not conform to the view that gender is strictly biological. The bill also aims to criminalise medical services related to gender transition for minors and to revoke the licences of social service providers who share such information.
As previously reported by the CIVICUS Monitor, on 7th August 2024, a law banning “LGBTQI+ propaganda” in schools was passed by an overwhelming majority in parliament, mirroring illiberal trends observed in Russia, Georgia, and Hungary. The new legislation introduced an amendment to the Bulgarian law on pre-school and school education banning the “propaganda, promotion or incitement” of LGBTQI+ “ideas and views” in schools, without providing any further specifics.
The law came into effect on 15th August, after it was signed by the president. Since its enactment, politicians have used the law to justify harassment against LGBTQI+ organisations, including public smear campaigns and parliamentary hearings designed to intimidate civil society actors.
In 2024, Bulgaria received a score of just 23 percent from the International Lesbian and Gay Association Europe, which annually assesses the rights of LGBTQI+ people across Europe. This score places the country in the bottom tier among EU member states in regard to protection from discrimination on the basis of gender and sexual orientation.
Challenges for the Bulgarian Press in 2024
In December 2024, the International Press Institute and the Media and Journalism Research Center published a report assessing the situation for the press in Bulgaria. The report assessed the level of compliance with the European Media Freedom Act, which entered into force in May 2024. According to the report, the prolonged political instability in the country has affected the situation for the press, including cases in which several political actors have wanted to limit press freedom, targeting critical and investigative media. The report also highlighted the limited funding for the sector, with resources being scarce and insufficient for the media to remain sustainable and independent. Of note: another need for the media sector is to have efficient regulatory institutions, which should have well-defined mandates and the necessary mechanism to protect journalists and media outlets from attempts to stifle freedom of expression.