The Governor and Deputy Governor of the National Health Insurance Fund (NHIF), Stanimir Mihaylov and Prof Momchil Mavrov, have submitted their resignations to the National Assembly, confirmed by Parliament's press centre following a joint briefing by GERB leader Boyko Borissov, Democratic Bulgaria co-chair Hristo Ivanov, and We Continue the Change co-chair Asen Vassilev.
The decision to step down was prompted by Prime Minister Nikolai Denkov's call for the withdrawal of Deputy Governor Momchil Mavrov due to a State Agency National Security (SANS) report indicating his involvement in lobbying for private hospitals.
Mavrov, nominated by the GERB-SDS parliamentary group and supported by the Movement for Rights and Freedoms (DPS) in his election on November 30, faced opposition from MPs of We Continue the Change - Democratic Bulgaria's (WCC-DB). NHIF Governor Stanimir Mihaylov, elected on July 29, was nominated by WCC-DB.
During a briefing, Borissov, Vassilev, and Ivanov highlighted the flaws in the NHIF leadership election, expressing the need for a clean restart. They discussed the creation of a regulatory body appointment framework to avoid floating majorities and ensure collaborative decision-making within the government-supporting parties.
Borissov emphasized the consensus to step back, request resignations, and establish regulations for future appointments, urging an end to political blame games.
Both Ivanov and Borissov reaffirmed their backing for Prime Minister Denkov and Deputy Prime Minister Mariya Gabriel. DPS floor leader Delyan Peevski expressed the party's willingness to participate in crafting regulatory guidelines for regulators, stressing their role without direct involvement in the executive branch.
Peevski reiterated DPS's support for Deputy Prime Minister Gabriel while urging Prime Minister Denkov to focus on public interests and reasonable actions.