Head of EU's Competitiveness Program 'Asked to Resign' by EconMin

Еli Milusheva, the director of the Operational Program Competitiveness managed by the Economy Ministry, is to resign, official sources say.

Milusheva has decided to take the move after the institution asked her to do so, the website Capital Daily reports, citing the interim EU Funds Minister Iliyana Tsanova.

Economy Ministry officials, however, have refused to comment on the developments.

Tsanova has described the motives leading to the resignation as "professional", since authorities have received a number of signals that the program of which Milusheva was in charge had serious issues.

"This is not about political purges, but merely professional decisions related to problems in these programs," she has added.

The Deputy Economy Minister Irena Mladenova is now expected to take over.

Prior to her decision Spiridon Aleksandrov, who had run the Operational Program Environment since early 2014, also stepped down, and was succeeded by Yana Georgieva, who had previously held the position for a brief stretch of time.

Both programs are considered to have a number of irregularities, and the EU Commission has long urged authorities to make improvements.

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