The leadership of Bulgaria's incumbent floor group was reshuffled as its chief Plamen Panayotov was selected for a ministerial post.

His deputy MP Stanimir Ilchev was elevated by a unanimous yes-vote Tuesday to chair the parliamentary group of the ruling Simeon II National Movement.

Three new deputy floor leaders were also elected to replace the former font-line MPs. Miroslav Sevlievski and Borislav Tsekov -- members of the newly set club Novoto Vreme (New Time), a faction within the ruling party -- was appointed deputy floor leader together with Valeri Tsekov. Vesselin Bliznakov (chair of the parliamentary committee on energy), Borislav Ralchev and Konstantin Penchev keep their posts as deputies.

Snezhana Grozdilova and Vladimir Donchev will no longer be part of the floor group's leadership.

Stanimir Ilchev has also been the chair of the parliamentary committee on foreign policy, defense and security and led the Bulgarian delegation to the Parliamentary Assembly of NATO. He had worked as journalist before his election into the Parliament.