Bulgarian President: Caretaker Cabinet to Prioritize Social Policy, Economy

The Minister of Labor and Social Policy, the Minister of Economy and Finance, and a Minister of EU Funds will be Deputy-PMs in Bulgaria's future caretaker government, stated Bulgarian President Rosen Plevneliev.

Tuesday it became certain that President Rosen Plevneliev will have to appoint a caretaker cabinet and dissolve parliament, after the three largest parliamentary groups chose not to use their government mandate.

"A Finance Minister per se should not be a Deputy-PM, as his job is to just say "No." The critical situation that Bulgaria has found itself in calls for different policies," stated Plevneliev.

According to the President, the fact that the three Vice-PMs will be the ministers in charge of the named areas will clearly signal the priorites of the caretaker cabinet.

Bulgarian PM Boyko Borisov unexpectedly resigned February 20 amid massive protests over stagnation and corruption, just months ahead of general elections in July.

President Plevneliev has already stated that he will call snap elections on May 12, which means that the transition cabinet will take office no earlier than March 13.

According to the Bulgarian President, the recent turn of events has clearly shown that Bulgarians have lost trust in the present Parliament and need to be heard again on a popular vote.

Bulgarian President since January 2011, 2009-11 Rosen Plevneliev was Minister of Regional Development in Borisov's center-right GERB cabinet.