Nikolai Denkov: Ministers can only be replaced if absolutely necessary

In the rotation in March, when Nikolai Denkov will hand over the prime minister's post to Foreign Minister Mariya Gabriel, ministers should be replaced only if absolutely necessary, the prime minister has said. He made it clear that he would not name any cabinet members who would have to go.

Nikolai Denkov also said that the discussion on the rotation system would begin today with Maria Gabriel, and that the principles under which it would be implemented would be discussed in detail.

In the prime minister's view, the fact that health minister Hristo Hinkov had announced his intention to resign in March was an indication of the pressure under which ministers were operating. He also referred to calls for the resignation of Defence Minister Todor Tagarev over an "administrative error" in failing to send invitations to MPs to attend the Epiphany service.

Commenting on reports that Finance Minister Assen Vassilev might become deputy prime minister after the rotation, Nikolai Denkov said that the idea had come from GERB.