One must be struck by naivety to believe that Bulgaria's finance minister Simeon Djankov was kicked out for delaying grain producers pay.

Just like a year ago one had to be sunstruck to believe that economy and energy minister Traicho Traikov was kicked out for hitting the beach in Doha.

This week's government reshuffle fits nicely with the prime minister's favorable strategy - put all the blame squarely on the shoulders of a clerk and throw him to the dogs.

Boyko Borisov is kicking out yet another key expert, who is not a member of his party and has fatally dared to disagree with him over some issues last week.

Was Djankov too much "yin" for the masculine, tough-talking former bodyguard?

Truth is, Djankov is a scapegoat.

Nearly four years ago the former Washington-based World Bank man and expert in transition economies and crisis response, was heaped with accolades by Borisov.

But in office he gained the reputation of a fiscal hawk.

Regardless of the true reason, his sudden and unexplained dismissal is a bad sign.

It leaves the impression that the government has panicked amid the nationwide protests and ops for populist policies ahead of the elections.