Bulgaria's President Names Georgi Bliznashki as Prime Minister

Politics » DOMESTIC | August 5, 2014, Tuesday // 11:15
Bulgaria: Bulgaria's President Names Georgi Bliznashki as Prime Minister Georgi Bliznashki. Photo by BGNES

Constitutional Law lecturer Georgi Bliznashki is to be Bulgaria's interim Prime Minister.

He will head the caretaker government that will prepare snap elections to be held on October 5.

While introducing him to reporters, President Rosen Plevneliev hailed his contribution to Bulgaria's academical achievements and democratic development.

Bliznashki vowed his cabinet will strictly uphold Bulgaria's Constitution to safeguard transparency, rule of law and democratic development.

His government will not have any constitutional or budgetary competencies and will not have the right to change tax legislation or sign international agreements, he reminded, also confirming its basic tasks pointed by Plevneliev to the cabinet, namely tackling EU funding problems, ensuring that elections will be held in a transparent way and restating Bulgaria's commitment to the EU.

Bliznashki (R) and President Plevneliev (L) during the ceremony at Bulgaria's Presidency in the capital Sofia. Photo by BGNES

Bliznashki will have four deputies.

Ekaterina Zaharieva, the President's Chief of Staff, is to act as both Deputy Prime Minister in charge of economic affairs and Regional Development Minister, with the latter position also conferred to her in the former interim government appointed by Plevneliev last year. She will also be in charge of the Investment Planning Ministry.

Yordan Hristoskov will be Deputy Prime Minister in charge of social affairs and will also head the Ministry of Labor and Social Policy.

Iliyana Tsanova will be Deputy Prime Minister in charge of European affairs and EU funding. This is the second time she assumes the office after the last interim cabinet appointed in February 2013.

Hristo Ivanov, the fourth deputy (in charge of justice, internal order and security), will take over the Ministry of Justice.

Vasil Shtonov will be the Economy and Energy Minister.

Yordan Bakalov, conservative MP in a few earlier legislatures, is to head the Interior Ministry.

Daniel Mitov, a political scientist, is Bulgaria's new top diplomat, taking over the Foreign Ministry.

Velizar Shalamanov is appointed as Defense Minister.

Rumen Porozhanov is the new Finance Minister.

Vasil Grudev, Porozhanov's deputy at the time when he headed the State Fund Agriculture (SFA), will be the interim Agriculture Minister.

The Health Ministry will be overseen by Miroslav Nenkov in the next two months.

Svetlana Zhekova will be in charge of the Environment portfolio, and Education will be assigned to Rumyana Kolarova, the President's Secretary for Civil Society Relations.

Evgeniya Radanova, a renowned short-track champion, will head the Sports Ministry.

Martin Ivanov is Bulgaria's new Culture Minister.

Nikolina Angelkova
will be in charge of Transport, Information Technologies and Communications.

At a ceremony on Tuesday President Rosen Plevneliev held to reveal the names of interim cabinet members he announced he is also to sign a decree to set the date for the snap poll and also to dissolve Parliament, which convened on Monday for the last time to vote on state budget and healthcare expenditure amendments.

Plevneliev asserted that the interim government will be an opportunity to fulfill state priorities such as the Partnership Agreement with the EU Commission, steps toward entering Europe's Banking Union and the activities on Europe 2020 Strategy.

The President did not appoint an Elections Minister as previously expected. However, he announced a Civil Board for Free and Fair elections will be set up with the Council of Ministers.

Parties had previously agreed that the country should rush through a constitutional procedure under which each of them was handed a mandate to form a government but declined to do so.

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Tags: Nikolina Angelkova, Martin Ivanov, Evgeniya Radanova, Rumyana Kolarova, Svetlana Zhekova, Vasil Grudev, Rumen Porozhanov, Velizar Shalamanov, Daniel Mitov, Yordan Bakalov, Yordan Hristoskov, caretaker government, Georgi Bliznashki, parliament, Rosen Plevneliev, early elections, Hristo Ivanov, Iliyana Tsanova, Ekaterina Zaharieva, Georgi Bliznashki, Vasil Shtonov, Miroslav Nenkov

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