On Saturday, 31 October 2026, the General Assembly of Judges in Sofia elected two co‑chairs and a nine‑member election commission to guide the selection of members for Bulgaria’s Supreme Judicial Council (SJC). The assembly’s decisions were made following proposals from Supreme Court of Cassation (SCC) President Galina Zaharova and acting Supreme Administrative Court (SAC) President Vanya Ancheva.
Judge Mimi Furnadzhieva, nominated by President Zaharova, and Judge Sibila Simeonova, nominated by President Ancheva, were chosen as the collaborative leaders. Both were elected with a decisive 592‑to‑24 vote margin, underscoring broad support among the judges.
The nine‑member commission to oversee the SJC elections was assembled with varied judicial representation. Full members include Judge Biser Troyanov and Judge Kristiyana Genkovska of the SCC; Judge Petar Mitev of Varna District Court; Judge Galya Ruseva of Burgas District Court; Judge Stela Dincheva of the SAC; Judge Rositsa Tsvetkova of Sofia City Administrative Court; Judge Vera Tsvetkova of Sofia Court of Appeal; Judge Plamen Atanasov of Varna District Court; and Judge Rositsa Vasileva of Plovdiv Regional Court.
In addition, the commission includes seven alternates: Judge Iliyana Stoilova of Sofia Court of Appeal; Judge Antoni Yordanov of Sofia City Administrative Court; Judge Nikolay Golchev of Plovdiv Regional Court; Judge Desislava Aleksieva of Sofia Regional Court; Judge Dimitar Mirchev and Judge Evgeni Georgiev of Sofia City Court; and Judge Rositsa Velkova of Sofia Regional Court.
These appointments, announced by a BTA report, mark a milestone in the SJC’s independent electoral process. The newly formed leadership and commission will oversee the upcoming council elections, reinforcing the judiciary’s adherence to fair and transparent selection procedures.
