The caretaker cabinet of Andrey Gyurov formally handed over power to Rumen Radev's newly elected regular government in a ceremony at the Council of Ministers. Gyurov, the outgoing prime minister, described his team's tenure as a moment when the state rediscovered its spine, telling the incoming ministers,?We are not here by historical coincidence, we all entered this building because Bulgarian citizens took to the squares and refused to tolerate greed, arrogance, and self-forgetfulness.?He urged them to carry forward that legacy of integrity and not surrender citizens to those who treat the state as a tool for personal gain.
Radev, taking the reins, thanked Gyurov for ensuring fair elections and institutional continuity. He framed his cabinet as a return to stable, strategically oriented governance.?I believe that our government is the first step in restoring stable, strategically oriented governance of Bulgaria with one horizon - the modern development of our country as a modern European state,?he said, listing democracy, freedom, solidarity, and justice as guiding values. The new prime minister then announced the cabinet would hold its first meeting the same day, stating bluntly,?There is no time.?
Parliament had voted the 107th government into office with 122 votes, and the prime minister himself received 124. Radev's Progressive Bulgaria formation holds an absolute majority of 131 seats, giving the government a comfortable legislative base. After the vote, the 18 ministers and four deputy prime ministers took their oath of office to the sound of the Bulgarian and EU anthems. Two deputy prime ministers, Ivo Hristov and Atanas Pekanov, serve without portfolio, while Finance Minister Galab Donev and Economy Minister Alexander Pulev also hold deputy prime ministerial rank. Notably, the Ministry of e-Government has been merged into the Ministry of Innovation and Growth to reduce duplicated functions.
At the individual ministries, a series of handover ceremonies unfolded with a mix of emotion and pledges. New Agriculture Minister Plamen Abrovski, who started in the ministry as an employee in 2004, said he never imagined returning decades later as its head. His predecessor, Ivan Hristanov, welcomed him warmly. At Youth and Sports, an excited Encho Keryazov took over from Dimitar Iliev, vowing to prioritize school sports as a shield against addictions including drugs, alcohol, gambling, and tablet dependency.?Sport is a powerful tool for education. Healthy children and strong Bulgaria,?Keryazov said.
In foreign affairs, Velislava Petrova-Chamova assumed her post from Nadezhda Mihaylova, who underscored that foreign policy is built on quiet diplomacy, not loud speeches. Petrova-Chamova called Mihaylova a role model for women in diplomacy. Finance Minister Galab Donev, meanwhile, immediately zeroed in on the budget, insisting that the real deficit is far larger than officially reported because of hidden expenses. He promised that all ministries would report spending monthly and said the cabinet needs between three weeks and a month to present a 2026 draft budget.
At the Justice Ministry, Nikolay Naydenov identified the adoption of new rules for electing the Supreme Judicial Council as his top task.?Judicial reform is a concept that is beginning to be emptied of content,?he warned, adding that the current SJC and its inspectorate are long past their mandates. Naydenov said amendments prepared by his parliamentary group would be tabled on Monday. At Labor and Social Policy, Natalia Efremova stressed that the social system is no place for political experiments and pledged transparent management of European funds. Tourism Minister Ilin Dimitrov, returning to a post he held previously, emphasized continuity and dialogue with the industry ahead of the summer season.
Interior Minister Ivan Demerdzhiev, back in an office he occupied from 2022 to 2023, thanked outgoing minister Emil Dechev for holding clean elections and for beginning a clean-up of the system, remarking that he had created'solid discomfort?for certain figures in parliament. Dechev described persuading police to work against vote-buying and recalled a 2024 scandal where officers were told not to investigate cigarette smuggling.
Speaking to reporters after the transfer ceremony, Radev outlined his government's immediate moves. On Monday, bills to curb price growth and overhaul the judiciary law will be submitted to parliament. He insisted there would be no price ceiling, but pledged to expose pricing processes, impose higher sanctions for unfair competition, and shield Bulgarian producers from the arm-twisting of large retail chains.?Protecting Bulgarian producers from the arm-twisting practices of large retail chains is among the main priorities,?he said. A new chair of the State Agency for National Security will also be proposed promptly.
Regarding the Recovery and Resilience Plan, Radev acknowledged tight deadlines and said his team would use bills already submitted but add its own amendments to save over 400 million euros. While calling for urgent parliamentary work, he dismissed a proposed temporary inquiry commission focused on a political rival as a waste of precious legislative time. The government, he reiterated, must move fast - there is no time for anything else.
