Former caretaker Minister of Justice and Interior Ivan Demerdzhiev has said he would be prepared to once again take over the Interior Ministry in a future caretaker cabinet. Speaking on Nova TV, he stated that if appointed, one of his first steps would be the dismissal of all regional police directors.

Demerdzhiev underlined that for many years he has worked alongside President Rumen Radev in efforts aimed at dismantling what he described as the model of a failed or captured state and at securing a better future for Bulgaria. He added that he intends to continue supporting the president as political developments unfold, while noting that Radev’s political project has not yet taken concrete form.

Commenting on recent foreign policy decisions, Demerdzhiev criticized the move by the resigned Prime Minister Rosen Zhelyazkov to sign Bulgaria’s participation in the Peace Council initiative organized by US President Donald Trump. According to him, the caretaker government is attempting to appease different sides in a bid to secure the political survival of two individuals and to facilitate the removal of one figure from the Magnitsky sanctions list.

He argued that a government which has already resigned does not have the legitimacy to define Bulgaria’s national interest on an ad hoc basis, without clear justification and without debate in the National Assembly. Such decisions, he stressed, should not be taken unilaterally or behind closed doors.

Demerdzhiev further pointed out that the invitation to take part in Trump’s Peace Council had been addressed personally to President Radev. However, the head of state had responded clearly that, given the resignation of both the government and the presidency, it would be inappropriate for either institution to represent Bulgaria at the Davos forum or to make long-term commitments with potentially serious consequences for the country’s future.

In conclusion, Demerdzhiev emphasized that national policy should not be driven by an attempt to satisfy all parties at once, warning that such an approach undermines coherence and responsibility in governance.