Foreign minister pick causes tensions between Bulgarian president, government

7 months ago 29

Bulgaria’s caretaker Prime Minister Dimitar Glavchev’s proposal to replace Foreign Minister Dimitar Stefanov with the conservative party’s GERB deputy leader Daniel Mitov has caused tension with President Rumen Radev, who is due to sign a decree on the rotation.

Glavchev, who’s career is closely tied to GERB, initiated personnel changes in the caretaker cabinet immediately after GERB leader and former prime minister Boyko Borissov spoke out against Stefan Dimitrov -backed by Radev- at a party meeting on Monday night.

“I hope Mr Glavchev is aware of the damage when he carries out the wishes of his party boss,” the president commented on the proposed changes in the caretaker cabinet.

The official motive for picking Mitov, a foreign minister under Borissov, was “the need for timely and responsible coordination and communication between the cabinet members on the one hand and with allies and partners on the other”.

However, with Radev having voiced his opposition to sending military aid to Kyiv on several occasions in the past, and whoever is to be the country’s diplomatic chief having the upper hand in such decisions, a foreign minister chosen from Radev’s political circle would make it difficult for the caretaker government to decide on such matters.

While the change of ministers is proposed by the caretaker prime minister and then approved by presidential decree, according to the latest amendments to the Constitution, Radev, who has people from his political circle in the caretaker government and has issued a decree appointing them, said he would leave it to the prime minister to form his government.

“I will not interfere in the prime minister’s decisions on the composition of the caretaker cabinet, but I will also insist that he keeps his promise to propose a cabinet that is equally distant from all parties,” Radev said.

However, the president expressed disappointment at Glachev’s proposal on Tuesday to replace Kiril Vatev with the head of the Agriculture Fund, Georgi Tahov, as agriculture minister. “It’s clear about the foreign ministry, but who ordered the replacement of the agriculture minister?” asked Radev on Wednesday.

Despite this, Radev invited Glavchev to discuss on Friday “his proposals, which cannot include deputy leaders of political parties”, referring to Mitov’s proposal to head the Foreign Ministry.

Radev also pointed out that there were many diplomats with the qualities to be ministers so that a worthy candidate could always be found.

Meanwhile, Borissov described as “an absolute coincidence” Glavchev’s decision to replace the foreign minister immediately after his criticism. “If they appoint Daniel Mitov, I will say that GERB is responsible for foreign policy,” Borissov told journalists in parliament.

(Krassen Nikolov | Euractiv.bg)