Bulgaria's GERB Presidential Bidders to Resign from Govt in Confidence

GERB's presidential tandem, Justice Minister Margarita Popova (L) and Regional Development Minister Rosen Plevneliev (R) at their nomination Sunday. Photo by BGNES

The nominees of Bulgaria's ruling party GERB for the Presidency, Rosen Plevneliev and Margarita Popova, who are acting government ministers, will resign their jobs rather than take leaves for the election campaign.

Regional Development Minister Plevneliev and Justice Minister Popova were nominated to run for President and Vice President of Bulgaria by Prime Minister and GERB leader Boyko Borisov Sunday afternoon.

Instead of taking a leave while they are campaigning for the elections on October 23, however, the two bidders are going to directly resign from the Borisov Cabinet on Wednesday, September 7, the PM himself announced.

This means that if they fail to get elected to the Presidency, Plevneliev and Popova will be unable to return to their ministerial posts, at least not without a tedious and questionable reappointment procedure.

Borisov said the names of the new ministers of regional development and justice will be disclosed on Wednesday.

"We have a lot of important road sections to construct, a lot of ground-breaking ceremonies coming up, that is why I have told Rosen [Plevneliev] that he will not be participating in these new events," the PM.

Press reports have indicated that current Deputy Minister of Regional Development Lilyana Popova is almost 100% certain to be the new minister, including because she has been explicitly praised by Borisov on several occasions.

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