Acting Prime Minister

"The Ministry of Finance is preparing the draft budget for 2023, which the Council of Ministers must submit by the end of April. In the event that at this time the negotiations to form a government are still ongoing, we will also fulfill this responsibility of ours."

Pursuant to Art. 99, para. 5 of the Constitution, President Rumen Radev signed a decree on the dissolution of the 48th National Assembly on February 3, 2023. The head of state has scheduled parliamentary elections for April 2, 2023, announced the press office of the head of state.

"The second mandate to form a regular government is underway, the end of our mandate is approaching." Acting Prime Minister Galab Donev commented before the meeting of the Council of Ministers.

The caretaker prime minister added that when they took office as a caretaker government, they had no idea that in January 2023 their interim mandate would still be in place.

Our representatives can meet, while I can do the same with the Greek Prime Minister

By order of interim Prime Minister Ognyan Gerdzhikov four more Deputy Ministers have been appointed. The nominations were made by the respective interim ministers, reported the government press service.

Lazar Lazarov will join the team of interim Labour and Social Policies Minister Galab Donev.

Bulgarian President Rosen Plevneliev's Chief of Staff is the most likely option to take over as interim Prime Minister if a caretaker cabinet is to be formed later in December, local media report.

Bulgaria's interim Prime Minister Georgi Bliznashki is expected to announce the names of the caretaker deputy ministers and political advisers on Monday, August 11.

Ekaterina Zaharieva, Caretaker Deputy PM for Economy, will work with a team of seven people. Yordan Hristoskov, Caretaker Deputy PM for Social Policy, is expected to have an office of five people.

Bulgaria's caretaker government will conform its actions regarding controversially perceived minister Krasimira Medarova to some critical reactions, interim PM Bliznashki said.

Georgi Bliznashki, who has been in office since Wednesday, asserted that the cabinet was "sensitive" to moods in civil society.

All Bulgarian Deputy Ministers from the cabinet of Plamen Oresharski were discharged as of Wednesday, August 6, authorities revealed.

Reports in various media outlets had suggested Georgi Bliznashki would not keep deputies from the former cabinet in office, unlike the previous caretaker government, formed in February 2013.

A Europe-friendly caretaker cabinet is now governing Bulgaria until the early elections, German weekly Der Spiegel's website [DE] wrote Wednesday.

The new team revealed by President Plevneliev replaces a "pro-Russian government", the magazine reports.