Ursula von der Leyen condemns the attack on the European Commission building in Sofia

Police are searching for all those involved in the clashes in front of the European Commission building in Sofia on Saturday, February 22, Bulgaria’s Minister of Interior Daniel Mitov told public broadcaster BNT.

''Outrageous scenes in Sofia where our EU office has been vandalised. In Europe, we exercise the right to demonstrate in a peaceful way. Violence and vandalism are never the answer'', European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen wrote on X.

"I cannot believe the footage of what is happening in front of the European Commission's representation in Sofia", Commissioner for Startups, Research and Innovation Ekaterina Zaharieva wrote on Facebook.

"The right to peaceful protest is guaranteed by our Constitution, but it is absolutely unacceptable to desecrate the European Commission building – it's like burning and destroying our own home",  Ekaterina Zaharieva added.