Rumen Radev presents cabinet lineup

President Iliana Iotova handed the first exploratory mandate for forming a government to Rumen Radev, nominated for prime minister by Progressive Bulgaria, the largest parliamentary group in the 52nd National Assembly. The mandate was immediately returned to President Iotova, fulfilled.

“Bulgarian citizens placed great trust to your political force, placing it in first position with a clear majority. After years of political crises, expectations are for stable governance; these are also the expectations of our European partners. Important decisions lie ahead, such as ensuring the stability of social payments, drafting and adopting the 2026 state budget, working on the 2027 budget, providing guarantees for business, economic and energy development, and addressing external challenges”, President Iotova said.

Rumen Radev reminded that over the past nine years, he and Iliana Iotova, as president and vice president, have handed out 27 cabinet-forming mandates. “Citizens expressed their will in the last elections and put an end to the crisis”, Rumen Radev emphasized.

Prime Minister-designate Rumen Radev said the new cabinet is planned to include four deputy prime ministers (two without portfolio) and 18 ministers. The proposed structure has one fewer ministry than the current one.

Rumen Radev outlined the main issues facing the new government — soaring inflation, the adoption of a state budget for the current year, the election of a new Supreme Judicial Council, and doing everything possible to avoid losing funds under the Recovery and Resilience Plan (RRP). “There are a great many uncertainties surrounding the budget. I hope we will soon understand what a hidden deficit means and what its dimensions are”, the leader of Progressive Bulgaria added.

Composition and structure of the proposed “Radev” cabinet:

Prime Minister – Rumen Radev (Air Force general who has won the presidential elections twice. After nine years in office, he resigns to run for premier);

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance – Galab Donev (Has served as prime minister in two caretaker governments appointed by President Rumen Radev. He also served as caretaker Minister of Labour and Social Policy);

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economy, Investment and Industry – Alexander Pulev (Holds an MBA with a focus on finance from the University of Oxford and a bachelor’s degree in information systems and finance from the University of Maine, USA. A financier and manager with international experience in the real economy and investment sector);

Deputy Prime Minister – Ivo Hristov Petkov (Worked as a journalist at RFI Bulgaria, NTV, and BNT. A translator of novels by Romain Gary, Marguerite Duras, Tonino Benacquista, Philippe Djian, and others. He served as head of the president’s office between 2017 and 2019);

Deputy Prime Minister – Atanas Pekanov (He worked at the Vienna-based Austrian Institute of Economic Research (WIFO), with a focus on monetary and fiscal policy and the architecture of the Economic and Monetary Union. He has served twice as caretaker deputy prime minister for European funds management);

Minister of Interior – Ivan Demerdzhiev (Law graduate. Former deputy Prime Minister and caretaker Minister of Interior, as well as caretaker Minister of Justice);

Minister of Defence – Dimitar Stoyanov (Reserve colonel with over 25 years of experience in the Air Force. He has also served as caretaker Minister of Defense and secretary for security and defence in the President’s administration);

Minister of Foreign Affairs – Velislava Petrova-Chamova;
Minister of Justice – Nikolay Naydenov;
Minister of Labour and Social Policy – Natalia Efremova;
Minister of Education and Science – Prof. Georgi Valchev;
Minister of Health – Katya Ivkova;
Minister of Innovation and Digital Transformation – Ivan Vassilev;
Minister of Regional Development and Public Works – Ivan Shishkov;
Minister of Energy – Iva Petrova;
Minister of Transport and Communications – Georgi Peev;

Minister of Agriculture and Food – Plamen Abrovski (He has worked at Bulgaria’s Permanent Representation in Brussels, focusing on direct payments, rural development programmes, state aid, and the forestry sector. In 2021 he was nominated as agriculture minister by There is Such a People (ITN), but the cabinet was not approved);

Minister of Environment and Water – Rositsa Karamfilova-Blagova;

Minister of Culture – Evtim Miloshev (One of the founders of the Association of Film and TV Directors. Producer of TV series, entertainment shows, and talk shows);

Minister of Tourism – Ilin Dimitrov (Former chair of the Varna Chamber of Tourism and currently a lecturer at the University of Economics – Varna);

Minister of Youth and Sports – Encho Keryazov (One of Bulgaria’s most successful and internationally recognised circus performers. His professional career has taken him to numerous European stages, including Austria, Germany, Finland, the United Kingdom, and Spain. He has won multiple international awards. He also runs a foundation supporting talented children in education, sports, and the arts).

The parliament is expected to approve Bulgaria’s 107th government tomorrow, which will then be sworn in and assume power from the caretaker cabinet.