Four Ministers Go in Government Shakeup

Four ministers are losing their jobs in a government shakeup announced by Bulgaria's government coalition council on Thursday. The Minister of Finance Vladislav Goranov, of the Economy Emil Karanikolov, of the Interior Mladen Marinov and of Tourism Nikolina Angelkova have been replaced.

Announcing the decision, Prime Minister Boyko Borissov said that Health Minister Kiril Ananiev will replace Goranov as FinanceMinister and the vacated ministerial office in the Health. Ministry will be filled by the director of Sofia's Alexandrovska Hospital, Prof. Kostadin Angelov. The present National PoliceDirector, Hristo Terziiski, will be offered to replace the outgoing Interior Minister and Karanikolov will be succeeded as Economy Minister by his deputy minister Luchezar Bisserov. The Tourism Ministry goes to Deputy Prime Minister Mariana Nikolova.
 
The government shakeup has been anticipated since last week when Prime Minister Boyko Borissov announced, amid large-scale protests against corruption and against the government, thatthere would be a thorough government overhaul. He said that the Ministers of Finance, of the Interior and of the Economy would be asked to stepped down for perceived close links with the opposition Movement for Rights and Freedoms, which is widely seen as a strong power broker under any government. The name of the Tourism Minister was freshly added Thursday.

Prime Minister Borissov and the co-leaders of the power-sharing United Patriots, Valeri Simeonov and Krassimir Karakachanov, met on Wednesday to discuss possible ministerial replacements. A press release by the government press office said that each would discuss the matter with their group in Parliament and would meet again Thursday to make a decision.

The proposed reshuffle will be submitted to Parliament later on Thursday.

It also transpired from the Prime Minister's remarks that some deputy ministers will be changed as well.

What government plans to do in coming days

On Monday, the government will present financial and socio-economic measures called for by the pandemic, said Borissov. He added that some of these measures will require prompt legislative revisions.

After the financial and economic measures, which the government sees as a matter of top priority, it will continue with its other priorities, including some for which the United Patriots
have been trying to push through for a while, said Karakachanov, the Defence Minister and leader of the power-sharing VMRO party.

He specified that those had to do with demographics, older people and Bulgarians abroad, among other issues.

PM: Anybody has the right to protest

Asked to comment the ongoing protests, the Prime Minister saidthat anybody is free to protest as this is part of democracy. As  for whether the Prosecutor General should come down, he said that while he is against any kind of show operations by the authorities - for which the Prosecutor General is being blamed - the Prosecutor General was elected in a democratic procedure finalized with a presidential decree.

Borissov also made a comment about Hristo Ivanov, the leader of  the opposition Democratic Bulgaria and one of the outstanding figures in the protests, who urged Borissov Wednesday to take action leading to the replacement of Ivan Geshev as Prosecutor General. "I know Hristo Ivanov has long dreamt of becoming Prosecutor General and having everybody under his control," said Borissov. He added that his government and himself have never had control over everybody and mentioned as an example how he heard about the arrest of his former Environment Minister, Neno Dimov, from the news media.

There was an immediate reaction from Hristo Ivanov who wrote on Facebook that Borissov's remark was a proof of his "total inadequacy". "In a normal democracy, politicians like me don't become Prosecutor General. Even Borissov knows this and this talking point of his gives away his huge hear that there may be a truly independent prosecutor general who obeys only law and democratic accountability," he said.

What the political forces said of the changes in the government

Hristo Ivanov called the government shakeup "reshuffling the chairs on Titanic's deck" and said its only value is in being an admission of the government's dependence on MRF deputy - and business owner - Delyan Peevski and MRF founder and honorary chairman Ahmed Dogan.

Comments also came from Socialist leader Kornelia Ninova who said that Borissov wasmerely trying to save himself. "Ministers change but the mafia-style government model remains. They have changed ministers 12 times in this government and things are always done the same way," she said.

She pointed out that there were no motives announced for the replacement of the Tourism Minister. "Obviously it was a deal with Valeri Simeonov and his National Front for Salvation of
Bulgaria to keep them in the government coalition," she said referring to the long-standing rift between Angelkova andSimeonov over issues in the tourism sector in Bulgaria.
 
Ninova said that her party's position remains unchanged: they want the resignation of the entire government.

Volya deputy floor leader Krustina Taskova expressed surprise over the government shakeup. She recalled the Prime Minister saying weeks ago that no party or coalition can manage on its own in the present circumstances and commented that the government reshuffle "obviously shows that they believe themselves to be self-sufficient now and in no need of additional political or public support".

Source: BTA