site.btaParliament Elects Rumen Radev as Prime Minister

Parliament Elects Rumen Radev as Prime Minister
Parliament Elects Rumen Radev as Prime Minister
Rumen Radev of Progressive Bulgaria, Sofia, May 8, 2026 (BTA Photo/Blagoy Kirilov)

Bulgaria's Parliament voted 124-70 with 36 abstentions to elect Rumen Radev of Progressive Bulgaria as Prime Minister.

The 124 votes in favour came from Progressive Bulgaria. Voting against the Cabinet were 21 MPs of Movement for Rights and Freedoms, 21 MPs of Democratic Bulgaria, 16 MPs of Continue the Change, 12 MPs of Vazrazhdane. Thirty-six MPs of GERB-UDF abstained.

During the parliamentary debate, GERB-UDF, the second-largest political force in the National Assembly, said it would abstain in the vote, while warning that its position could later shift to vote against. Democratic Bulgaria, Continue the Change, and Vazrazhdane had already announced that they would vote against the proposed Cabinet.

On Thursday, President Iliana Iotova handed the first exploratory mandate to form a government to Radev, who was nominated for prime minister by Progressive Bulgaria, the largest parliamentary group in the 52nd National Assembly. Immediately afterward, Radev presented to Iotova the composition and structure of a draft cabinet. 

The new government consists of a prime minister, four deputy prime ministers, and 18 ministers. The new Cabinet has one fewer ministry than the previous government. The Ministry of Economy, the Ministry of Innovation, and the Ministry of e-Government will be merged and reorganized into two ministries.

Parliament voted 122-70 with 36 abstentions to approve the composition of the Cabinet. 

The members of the newly elected Council of Ministers were then sworn in before the 52nd National Assembly.

Following is the Radev Cabinet:

Prime Minister - Rumen Radev

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance – Galab Donev

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economy, Investments and Industry – Alexander Poulev

Deputy Prime Minister – Ivo Hristov

Deputy Prime Minister – Atanas Pekanov

Minister of Interior – Ivan Demerdzhiev

Minister of Defence – Dimitar Stoyanov

Minister of Foreign Affairs – Velislava Petrova-Chamova

Minister of Justice – Nikolay Naydenov

Minister of Labour and Social Policy – Natalia Efremova

Minister of Education and Science – Georgi Valchev

Minister of Health – Katya Ivkova

Minister of Innovation and Digital Transformation – Ivan Vasilev

Minister of Regional Development and Public Works – Ivan Shishkov

Minister of Energy – Iva Petrova

Minister of Transport and Communications – Georgi Peev

Minister of Agriculture and Food – Plamen Abrovski

Minister of Environment and Water – Rositsa Karamfilova-Blagova

Minister of Culture – Evtim Miloshev

Minister of Tourism – Ilin Dimitrov

Minister of Youth and Sports – Encho Keryazov

/TM/

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By 04:45 on 21.05.2026 Today`s news

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