President Iotova Nominates BNB Deputy Governor Andrey Gurov as Caretaker Prime Minister (update)

Over the past two decades, Andrey Gyurov’s career has spanned academia, banking and politics — from economist and university lecturer, to party figure and parliamentary group leader, to Deputy Governor of the Bulgarian National Bank (BNB). As of today, he has also been nominated as Bulgaria’s caretaker prime minister.

Born on 31 December 1975 in the town of Gotse Delchev, Mr Gyurov graduated from a mathematics secondary school in Blagoevgrad before studying economics at Sofia University and at Truman State University in Missouri, United States.

• President Iotova Nominates BNB Deputy Governor Andrey Gyurov as Caretaker Prime Minister

He gained professional experience as a credit analyst at two banks — Harris Bank and Volksbank. In 2009, he began teaching Economics and Finance at the American University in Bulgaria, and from 2016 he lectured in Capital Markets at the University of Applied Sciences of the Austrian Chamber of Commerce.

Mr Gyurov’s political career began as a co-founder of the Yes, Bulgaria movement. In September 2021, Kiril Petkov invited him to join the We Continue the Change party, and later that year he entered parliament in the 47th National Assembly. He quickly gained the confidence of his colleagues and was elected chair of the party’s parliamentary group.

After the fall of the Petkov cabinet and the early elections that followed, he again became a deputy in the 48th parliament and then in the 49th. On July 26, 2023 the National Assembly elected him as a sub-governor of the Bulgarian National Bank, "Issue" branch.

Following the fall of the Petkov government and subsequent early elections, he was re-elected to parliament in the 48th and 49th National Assemblies. On 26 July 2023, parliament elected him Deputy Governor of the Bulgarian National Bank, heading the Issue Department.

“I swear in the name of the Republic of Bulgaria to observe the laws of the country. I have sworn,” he said at the time.

On 27 June 2024, the Commission for Counteracting Corruption informed the BNB that it had found an incompatibility concerning Mr Gyurov’s participation in non-governmental organisations and companies. He challenged the decision, stating that he had complied with the legal requirements to step down from managerial positions.

“I will appeal the decision of the BNB Governing Council. It is based on a ruling by the anti-corruption commission which is unlawful and incorrect,” Gyurov said.

The Supreme Administrative Court upheld the first-instance ruling, and the case was subsequently referred to the Court of Justice of the European Union for interpretation.

“As we have maintained from the very beginning, this case involves European law. In that regard, the Supreme Administrative Court was obliged to submit a preliminary reference to the Court of Justice of the EU. That was also our request,” he said.

His position as Deputy Governor automatically made him eligible as a potential candidate for caretaker prime minister. On 28 January, he was invited by President Iliana Iotova for consultations, during which he gave his consent.

“I told the President that I am ready to take on the responsibility, provided this happens under clear principles and without hidden conditions,” Gyurov said.

Today’s decision by the head of state formally nominates him as caretaker prime minister.