Caretaker Government Replaces All 28 District Governors

The caretaker government on February 23 appointed 28 district governors, replacing those who previously held these positions.

Blagoevgrad – Nikolay Kukolev has been appointed governor. He holds a Master’s degree in Finance with a specialisation in Public Finance from South-West University 'Neofit Rilski'. Kukolev has extensive experience teaching Public Finance at various higher education institutions and a strong background in administration. He previously served as Deputy Governor of Blagoevgrad from 1999 to 2001.

Burgas – Dobromir Gyulev has been appointed governor. A graduate of St. Kliment Ohridski University, his professional career has been largely in the start-up sector. In recent years, he has held leadership roles in quality control, comprehensive inspections, and audits, gaining significant managerial and administrative experience.

Varna – Atanas Mihov is the new governor. A seasoned professional in internal security, he has over 30 years of service within the Ministry of Interior. Mihov has extensive managerial experience and has received multiple awards for outstanding performance, including an honorary badge from the Ministry. He holds Master’s degrees in Bulgarian Philology and in National Security from the Academy of the Ministry of Interior.

Veliko Tarnovo – Valentin Mihaylov has been appointed governor. He holds Master’s degrees in Law and in Accounting and Control from Veliko Tarnovo University 'St. Cyril and St. Methodius'. Mihaylov has substantial administrative experience within the regional administration, where he has held various positions, including Deputy Governor from 2023 to 2024.

Vidin – Ivan Ivanov has been appointed governor. He holds a Master’s degree in Economics and has extensive experience in public administration. From 2018 to 2024, he served as Director of the Employment Bureau in Vidin.

Vratsa – Stefan Stefanov is the new governor. He holds Master’s degrees in Bulgarian Philology and Law from St. Kliment Ohridski University. He previously served as governor of Vratsa from January to August 2022.

Gabrovo – Asen Daskalov has been appointed governor. He graduated from St. Kliment Ohridski University and has professional experience in the private sector.

Dobrich – Asen Atanasov is the new governor. A law graduate from Varna Free University, he served as Chief Legal Counsel at Balchik Municipality from 2010 to 2013, and in 2024–2025 was Director of the Directorate for Municipal Property, Economy and Business Activities at Varna Municipality.

Kardzhali – Zdravko Todorov has been appointed governor. He studied Economics and Labour Organisation at University of National and World Economy and has extensive experience in trade, real estate, and finance.

Kyustendil – Kristian Ivanchov is the new governor. A trained lawyer, he served as Deputy Governor in 2023 and from 2023 to 2025 was Deputy Mayor of Kyustendil Municipality.

Lovech – Polya Varbanova has been appointed governor. She studied History at Veliko Tarnovo University 'St. Cyril and St. Methodius' and has held various expert positions within the Lovech Regional Administration and Lovech Municipality.

Montana – Mihail Ivanov has been appointed governor. He holds a degree in Economics and Marketing from Veliko Tarnovo University and has professional experience in trade. Since 2024, he has been part of the team at the State Commission for Information Security.

Pazardzhik – Lyubomir Gechev is the new governor. He has over 18 years of managerial experience in public administration and the international business sector, and most recently served as Deputy Mayor of Pazardzhik Municipality.

Pernik – Georgi Nedev has been appointed governor. He studied Geography, Geopolitics and Social Development at Veliko Tarnovo University and has professional experience in private companies.

Pleven – Alexander Yotkov has been appointed governor. A civil engineer specialising in Water Supply and Sewerage from University of Architecture, Civil Engineering and Geodesy, he has worked in the private sector and in the municipalities of Byala and Pleven. From October 2023 to June 2024, he served as Deputy Governor of Pleven.

Plovdiv – Vladislav Popov has been appointed governor. He holds a Master’s in Agroecology from the Higher Agricultural Institute in Plovdiv and a PhD from the University of Western Sydney, Australia. He has experience in agroecology, organic farming, and environmental protection, and has been a professor in the Department of Agroecology at Agricultural University - Plovdiv for the past five years.

Ruse – Orlin Penkov is the new governor. He has over 20 years’ experience in management, business development, and sales, and holds two Master’s degrees in International Economic Relations and Finance from D. A. Tsenov Academy of Economics.

Razgrad – Ognyan Obreshkov has been appointed governor. He has long-standing experience as an expert and manager in industrial maintenance for large enterprises. A mechanical engineer by training with specialisations in Mechanical Engineering Technology and Thermal and Gas Supply, he also holds a Master’s in Economics, specialising in Industrial Economics.

Silistra – Dimitar Karadzhov is the new governor. He was previously Director of the Directorate of Economics in Silistra Municipality and has extensive private sector experience. Karadzhov is a trained lawyer.

Sliven – Marincho Hristov has been appointed governor. He previously held the same post from July 2023 to May 2024 and holds a Master’s in Agronomy from Agricultural University - Plovdiv.

Smolyan – Zarko Marinov has been appointed governor. He previously served as governor from October 2021 to August 2022 and was Deputy Governor of Smolyan in 2014 and 2015.

Sofia – Vyara Todeva is the new governor. She served as governor from July 2023 to April 2024, and previously held positions as Deputy Executive Director at the Registry Agency and Deputy Governor of Sofia City. She studied Business and Finance at the College of North West London and holds a Master’s in Law and Economics.

Sofia District – Ivan Dimitrov has been appointed governor. He served as Deputy Governor of the same district from July 2023 to March 2024 and is an economist by training.

Stara Zagora – Iva Radeva is the new governor. She previously served in the same role from August 2023 to July 2024 and is trained in Economics.

Targovishte – Radoslav Boychev has been appointed governor. He holds a Master’s in National Security from South-West University 'Neofit Rilski' and was elected as a Member of Parliament in the 46th National Assembly.

Haskovo – Ginka Raycheva is the new governor. She held the same post from July 2023 to June 2024 and previously served as Director of Primary School “St. Kliment Ohridski” in Haskovo. She graduated from Plovdiv University.

Shumen – Marin Marinov has been appointed governor. An economist by training, he has extensive experience in the financial sector.

Yambol – Bilyana Kavaldzhieva-Dimitrova is the new governor. She previously held the same post from July 2023 to June 2024 and is trained as a lawyer.