Bulgarian Education Minister Sacked for 'Arguing' with PM

Sergey Ignatov, whose resignation as Bulgaria's Education Minister was accepted on Tuesday, had to go because he argued with Prime Minister Boyko Borisov over the corruption scandal in Bulgaria's Scientific Research Fund, Borisov himself revealed Wednesday.

According to the Prime Minister, Ignatov delayed the proper measures against violations in the Scientific Research Fund.

"Ignatov was late in taking measures at the SRF, he argued with me, he refuted the report of the Council of Ministers Inspectorate, and that's why we had to part ways. Other than that, he was a good minister, he accomplished many things," Borisov stated before Wednesday's Cabinet meeting in Sofia.

He further said he was appointing Prof. Stefan Vodenicharov, head of the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, as the new Education Minister, so that "the scientists can stop slinging reports and corruption [claims] at one another" in the months left before Bulgaria's parliamentary elections.

Borisov explained that outgoing minister Sergey Ignatov had his merit but he made a mistake by attempting to defend unworthy people because as a head of the board of the Scientific Research Fund, Igantov "should have reacted in early January".

"Prof. Vodenicharov is renowned scholar, and it's no accident he was elected chairman of the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences. In the remaining 3-4 months [before the elections] we need the Fund to start working properly so that our scientists can focus on innovation and research," elaborated the Prime Minister.

He expressed hopes Vodenicharov will be able to persuade his colleagues at the BAS that the next few months can be used to bring the Academy and the Education Ministry closer together.