Bulgaria: PM Designate Nikolov presents draft cabinet lineup
Sofia, 3 August 2021 (BTA/MIA) - The Prime Minister designate of the There is Such a People (TISP) party, Plamen Nikolov, Tuesday presented to journalists his party's draft cabinet lineup. The names of the proposed ministers were first presented at closed-door meetings with representatives of Rise Up BG! Here We Come!, Democratic Bulgaria, and BSP for Bulgaria earlier in the day.
The line-up of the draft government is as follows:
Plamen Nikolov - Prime Minister
Radi Naydenov - Minister of Foreign Minister
Peter Iliev - Minister of Interior
Plamen Danailov - Minister of Finance
Dessislava Dimitrova - Minister of Economy
Velislava Petrova - Minister of Education, Science and Innovation
Alexander Nikolov - Minister of Energy
Silvi Kirilov - Minister of Health
Georgi Georgiev - Minister of Regional Development and Public Works
Grozdan Karadzhov - Minister of Transport
Ivailo Kozhuharov - Minister of Tourism
Plamen Abrovski - Minister of Agriculture, Food and Forestry
Teodora Genchovska - Minister of Defence
Teodora Peneva - Minister of Labour, Social and Demographic Policy
Silvia Bakurdzhieva - Minister of Environment and Water
Georgi Soultanov - Minister of Culture
Radostin Vassilev - Minister of Youth and Sports
Momchil Ivanov - Minister of Justice
Antonia Valentinova - Minister without portfolio responsible for Roma Affairs
The names of the nominees for deputy prime ministers will be announced later.
TISP floor leader Toshko Yordanov told reporters in the Parliament building that their proposal is final and no changes will be made.
He also said that the purpose of the meetings with Democratic Bulgaria, Rise Up BG! and the Socialist party was not to debate on the composition of the government. "[Prime Minister designate] Nikolov gave them the necessary information about all nominees and why they were picked for the post. The decision [on the government composition] was made by the parliamentary group and the national leadership of the party," he said.
He added that his party had said from the start that it was not going to sign any coalition agreements because it won't be a coalition government. "The other parties expect an agreement of some sort to be signed but there is no agreement on a single document to be undersigned by all," Yordanov said of the party's demands to have an agreement signed. He would not say how TISP plan to go about with these demands.
Prime Minister designate Plamen Nikolov said that he "felt support during the meetings but let's not rush things".