THE CARETAKER GOVERNMENT TOOK OFFICE

The caretaker government took office at a ceremony in the Granite Hall at the Council of Ministers, at 12.00 on 27th of January.

Outgoing Prime Minister Boyko Borissov wished every success to the new government and added that governing the state was not an easy job.

He asked the new cabinet to make a review in the ministries and if they found something of concern to pass it to the prosecutor’s office.

“The people wanted new faces and new governance and we agreed,” the outgoing Prime Minister said.

He thanked the outgoing ministers for the work done in the past two years of governance.

“I will be happy to see the country stronger, more consolidated, with more sense and I think in the recent weeks we managed to show that we are heading into that direction,” Borissov said.

For his part, caretaker Prime Minister Professor Ognyan Gerdzhikov said that he was honoured to accept this high office from Borissov, who in his words, was "the longest-serving prime minister of Bulgaria in our recent history."

Gerdzhikov added that the new cabinet would undertake a review in the ministries as PM Borissov demanded and added that he hoped nothing bad would be identified. He said that if some irregularities were found they would be dealt with as required by the law.

The caretaker cabinet will include:

Ognyan Gerdzhikov – Prime Minister

Ilko Semerdzhiev – Deputy Prime Minister for social policies and Minister of Health;

Stefan Yanev – Deputy Prime Minister for internal order and security and Defense Minister

Malina Krumova – Deputy Prime Minister for EU Funds

Denitsa Zlateva – Deputy Prime Minister in charge for the preparation of the Bulgarian presidency of the Council of the EU, 2018

Plamen Uzunov – Minister of Interior

Kiril Ananiev – Minister of Finance

Galab Donev – Minister of Labour and Social Policy

Spas Popnikolov – Minister of Regional Development and Public Works

Nikolai Denkov – Minister of Education and Science;

Radi Naydenov – Minister of Foreign Affairs

Maria Pavlova – Minister of Justice

Rasko Mladenov – Minister of Culture

Irina Kostova – Minister of Environment and Water

Hristo Bozukov – Minister of Agriculture and Food

Hristo Alexiev – Minister of Transport, Information Technology and Communications

Teodor Sedlarski – Minister of Economy

Nikolai Pavlov – Minister of Energy

Stella Baltova – Minister of Tourism

Daniela Dasheva – Minister of Youth and Sports.