Changes in the caretaker government: What are the reasons and the political reactions?

Surprising two proposals for changes of ministers in the interim cabinet. The first - from April 15, is for the change of the foreign minister, provoked by a statement of GERB-UDF leader, Boyko Borissov, who insisted Stefan Dimitrov to be replaced. Later came the caretaker Prime Minister's own suggestion that Daniel Mitov is proposed for the post. On April 16, a proposal came for a another change - the Minister of Agriculture. Georgi Tahov - the current director of the Agriculture Fund was proposed to replace Kiril Vatev. Many comments and assessments of these changes were made, which come in the first days of the term in office of the caretaker cabinet.

The news that caretaker Prime Minister Dimitar Glavchev proposes that Foreign Minister, Stefan Dimitrov, be dismissed from his post and his place be taken by GERB deputy chair and MP, Daniel Mitov, was officially announced by the government information service shortly before 22:00 on April 15. As motives for the change, Glavchev pointed to "the need for timely and responsible coordination and communication between the members of the cabinet, on the one hand, and with allies and partners, on the other."

But how did the caretaker Prime Minister come to this position - the answer can be seen in the sharp statement of GERB-UDF leader Boyko Borissov a few hours earlier at a meeting with the party's activists on April 16:

"For General Zapryanov I was sure that he would not move from the NATO positions in support of Ukraine - today on the Crimean platform he has performed fantastically. Unlike the foreign minister. In this government we are responsible and GERB is responsible for the Minister of Defence. We have no responsibility for the Foreign Minister. And if Glavchev does not replace him, there will be no support. Because he is changing the doctrine that Foreign Affairs, Defence (portfolios) and our party had. If he wants to listen to me, if he wants to comply, I will make him comply afterwards. We will not move from the path of support for Ukraine, for the NATO countries against the aggressor Russia."

Political reactions followed. "We Continue the Change" wrote that at least it is now very clear whose cabinet it is and who made it. And they end with GERB's slogan - work, work, work.

Nikola Minchev described it as surprising to have the prime minister making proposals for changes in the line-up just a week after the swearing in of the cafretaker cabinet:

"Also, I cannot help but note that the proposed new name is deputy chairman of GERB, which is a rather strong political appointment."

Bulgarian Socialist Party leader, Kornelia Ninova, wrote that Borissov had admitted that the caretaker government was his and he had arranged and negotiated it. And she blamed We Continue the Change – Democratic Bulgaria for Borissov's return:

"Did you hear Borissov? He directly threatened caretaker Prime Minister Glavchev that if he did not fire the foreign minister "I will make to comply later". Now let's see if the PM will follow orders. To whom and in what capacity does a party leader propose and negotiate the ministerial appointments in the caretaker cabinet that was supposed to conduct fair elections equially distant from all political parties? Does anyone else have any doubts whose cabinet this supposed caretaker cabinet is? Borissov has just admitted it is his. He arranged it, negotiated it, ordered it, threatened it..."

Slavi Trifonov of “There is Such a People” also asked. Who runs the caretaker government? The Prime Minister, Glavchev, or Boyko Borissov? And answered:

"Boyko Borissov is running it, there is absolutely no shame in demonstrating it, and the real culprits for this are Hristo Ivanov and Democratic Bulgaria and Kiril Petkov and We Continue the Change."

The leader of "Vazrazhdane" Kostadin Kostadinov is confident that the main reason for the requested rotation is yesterday's speech of Stefan Dimitrov at the conference on Ukraine, in which the position of the foreign minister was, according to Kostadinov, softer than expected:

"They need hawks to continuously incite Bulgarian society against Russia. It is obvious that a career diplomat like Mr Dimitrov is not acceptable to the US embassy and that is exactly why they put a man, for whom until very recently there was a doubt, that there were perhaps legitimate concerns, that he might also have US citizenship like Daniel Mitov."

There has been no comment from the Movement for Rights and Freedoms (MRF).

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