Bulgaria's New Social Security Head Denies Being FinMin's Protege

Politics » DOMESTIC | September 9, 2011, Friday // 11:30
Bulgaria: Bulgaria's New Social Security Head Denies Being FinMin's Protege Petkov, who was nominated by the ruling centrist-right GERB party, was approved for the position by the Bulgarian parliament on Thursday. Photo by BGNES

Bisser Petkov, Bulgaria's newly appointed social security head, has denied allegations that he is Financial Minister Simeon Djankov's protege.

"There has been no political pressure on me and I do not expect to be put under political pressure. I am not Simeon Djankov's protege, my relations with him are purely professional," Petkov, who was proposed for the position by Djankov, declared Friday in an interview for Nova TV.

Petkov also vowed to improve the Social Security Institute's online services. He refused to comment on the performance of his predecessor, Hristina Mitreva, who was fired in May, but stated that the institute was working normally during the period it was not headed by anyone.

Petkov, who was nominated by the ruling centrist-right GERB party, was approved for the position by the Bulgarian parliament on Thursday. Bisser Petkov was endorsed by Djankov already in July, but a consensus for his nomination was initially not reached among GERB's MPs.

The former head of Bulgaria's Social Security Institute (NOI) Hristina Mitreva resigned in the middle of May under pressure and despite her firm determination to remain at the post.

Even though Mitreva's dismissal was seen by some as another example of Prime Minister Borisov's washout staff policy, which has very often had dire consequences, she herself has blamed political pressure and refusal to run political errands for her dismissal.

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Tags: social security, Social Security Institute, Bisser Petkov, Simeon Djankov

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