The candidate for caretaker prime minister - Andrey Gyurov, presented to President Iliana Yotova the names of the ministers he proposes to enter the new caretaker cabinet. See who they are, what their professional path and management experience is and what key positions they have held.
Prime Minister – Andrey Gyurov
He was born on December 31, 1975 in Gotse Delchev. He graduated from a mathematics high school in Blagoevgrad, and then from economics at Sofia University and the "Truman" State University in Missouri. He gained professional experience as a credit analyst in two banks - "Harris Bank" and "Volksbank". In 2009 he taught "Economics and Finance" at the American University, and since 2016, "Capital Markets" at the University of Applied Sciences at the Chamber of Commerce of Austria.
His political career began as a co-founder of the "Yes, Bulgaria" Movement. In September 2021, he joined "Continue the Change" and that same year entered the 47th parliament. He was subsequently elected chairman of the parliamentary group. After the fall of the Petkov cabinet and the subsequent early elections, he again became a deputy in the 48th parliament, and then in the 49th. On July 26, 2023, the National Assembly elected him Deputy Governor of the Bulgarian National Bank, "Issue" Department.
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Justice – Andrey Yankulov
Andrey Yankulov was born in 1980 in Sofia. He graduated from the German Language School in 1999 and majored in "law" at the Sofia University "St. Kliment Ohridski" in 2005. After graduating, he started working as a legal advisor, and in 2007, after winning a competition, he joined the Sofia District Prosecutor's Office (SPO), where he worked in the "Publicly Dangerous and Other Crimes" Department.
In August 2014, Yankulov was appointed Deputy Minister of Internal Affairs, and in the period November 2014 - February 2016, he was Deputy Minister of Justice with responsibility for government policy in the field of sentence enforcement. After returning to the SPO, he worked in the "Enforcement of Sentences" Department until September 2017, when he was promoted to the Sofia City Prosecutor's Office (SGP) after a competition. At the SGP, he worked in the "International and Execution of Sentences" department until the end of 2019, when he resigned as prosecutor. Since the beginning of 2020, Yankulov has been a lawyer at the Sofia Bar Association and joined the team of the non-governmental organization "Anti-Corruption Fund".
Minister of Finance - Georgi Klisurski
Georgi Klisurski was born and raised in Sofia. He graduated from the American College, holds a Master of Business Administration (MBA) from the leading business school Wharton and a Master of Public Administration from Harvard. Deputy Minister of Finance in the “Denkov” cabinet, responsible for the state budget, state debt and municipal finances. He fights for better healthcare as a member of the Supervisory Board of the National Health Insurance Fund and Chairman of the Board of Directors of “Bulgaria Heli Med Service“ EAD. He loves nature and especially the Vitosha Mountain near Sofia.
Deputy Prime Minister for Fair Elections – Stoil Tsitselkov
Election expert, member of the Public Council of the Central Election Commission
Deputy Prime Minister for European Funds – Maria Nedina
Former Head of the Cabinet of the Minister of Environment and Water in 2023-2024.
Minister of Interior – Emil Dechev
Emil Dechev is among the established names in the Bulgarian justice system with nearly 30 years of legal experience. He graduated in law from Sofia University “St. Kliment Ohridski“, and later specialized in European Union law at the prestigious University of Nancy, France.
Professional path:
In the judicial system: His career began as an investigator in the Sofia Investigation Service in 1997. He then went through all levels of the judiciary, and since 2012 he has been a judge in the Criminal Division of the Sofia City Court.
Public activity: Dechev is known as an active member of the Union of Judges in Bulgaria (USB) and an advocate of judicial reform.
In the executive branch: He is no stranger to the state administration. In 2022, he was appointed Deputy Minister of Justice in the cabinet of Kiril Petkov, and later held the same position in the caretaker government of Krum Zarkov.
Minister of Foreign Affairs – Nadezhda Neynski
Nadezhda Neynski (before 2009 Mihaylova) is a Bulgarian politician, Minister of Foreign Affairs (1997 – 2001), Chairwoman of the Union of Democratic Forces (UDF) from 11 March 2002 to 1 October 2005, Member of Parliament in the 37th, 38th, 39th and 40th National Assembly. In the 2009 European Parliament elections, she was elected MEP, as the leader of the Blue Coalition candidate list. She graduated from Bulgarian Philology at Sofia University “St. Kliment Ohridski“ in 1985. Until the democratic changes, she worked as a translator of Spanish poetry, English literature and a freelance journalist.
Since 2007, she has been the Chairwoman of the Union of Small and Medium-sized Enterprises in Bulgaria (SMEB). In 2007, she was elected Vice-President of the Union of Small and Medium-sized Enterprises of the European People's Party.
Minister of Regional Development and Public Works – Angelina Boneva
Angelina Boneva has a bachelor's degree from Oxford, UK and a master's degree in “European Studies“ from the University of Graz, Austria. Since 2022, she has been Acting Director General of the Directorate General “Strategic Planning and Regional Development Programs“ at the Ministry of Regional Development and Public Works. Previously, she worked as Director of “Project Information and Financing“ in the Fund of Funds and on European programs and projects in the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Economy.
Former Deputy Minister of Regional Development and Public Works in the government of Galab Donev.
Minister of Labor and Social Policy – Hasan Ademov
Hasan Ademov is a Bulgarian politician, a member of parliament from the parliamentary group of the MRF in the 38th to the 47th National Assembly and Minister of Labor and Social Policy (2013 – 14).
Ademov was born on January 24, 1953 in the town of Isperih, Bulgaria. In 1979, he graduated from the Medical University of Varna and specialized in anesthesiology and resuscitation.
In the local elections in 2011, he was nominated by the MRF list as a candidate for mayor of Razgrad. He ranked third.
Minister of Defense – Atanas Zapryanov
Atanas Zapryanov is a lieutenant general from the reserve.
He was born on April 16, 1950 in the village of Dragoynovo, Parvomaysko. In 1965, he graduated from the Technical School of Mechanical Engineering in Plovdiv. In 1974, he graduated as a master of engineering with a profile of “Signal Troops“ at the Higher National Military School “V. Levski“ – Veliko Tarnovo and was distinguished as the top graduate of his class.
In 1982, he obtained a master's degree in military affairs at the "Budyoni" Military Academy of Communications, St. Petersburg, Russia, graduating with honors and a gold medal.
He has a master's degree in "Strategic Leadership of the Armed Forces" at the General Staff Faculty of the "G. S. Rakovski" Military Academy since 1995. On August 19, 1996, he was appointed Head of the "Communications and Electronics" Department of the General Staff, effective September 1, 1996. On September 1, 1997, he was dismissed from the position of Head of the "Communications and Electronics" Department of the General Staff of the Bulgarian Armed Forces and appointed First Deputy Head of the Department "Communication and Information Systems" of the General Staff of the Bulgarian Armed Forces. Former Minister of Defense in the cabinet "Zhelyazkov".
Minister of Transport and Communications - Korman Ismailov
He is a deputy in the 41st National Assembly. Until April 2011, he was a member of the MRF, but was subsequently expelled from the party. A year later, together with Kasim Dahl, they founded the People's Party "Freedom and Dignity".
In the period 1998 - 2001, Ismailov was a bank employee in Sofia, after which he registered a business consulting company. In 2004, he graduated from the "Regional School of Politics" at the Association “Bulgarian School of Politics”. He also graduated from “Business Administration” in Konya, Turkey. In 2006, he was elected chairman of the youth organization of the MRF, remaining in this position until 2009. Then he was elected as a deputy in the 41st National Assembly from the MRF list in Dobrich. He was also a member of the Central Operational Bureau (COB) of the MRF.
Minister of Education and Science – Sergey Ignatov
Founder of Egyptology in Bulgaria. From November 19, 2009 to February 6, 2013, he was Minister of Education, Youth and Science in the government of Boyko Borisov. Prof. Ignatov is the first Bulgarian elected rector of a European university – European University for the Humanities in Vilnius on March 1, 2018.
Specialist in Oriental Studies (Asian and African Studies), also teaches the course "The Idea of Statehood" at the Department of National and International Security of NBU.
Minister of Health – Mihail Okoliyski
Assoc. Prof. Mihail Okoliyski graduated in “Social Therapy” from Humboldt University in Berlin, Germany. Until 2014, he worked as an expert in the “Mental Health” department at the National Center for Public Health and Analysis. He is the creator of systematic health education for different age groups in schools. We talk to him about the need to introduce health education into the curricula.
Okoliyski started working as an expert in the Bulgarian office of the World Health Organization in 2014, and then became its chairman. He headed the “Mental Health” department at the National Center for Public Health and Analysis. He graduated in “Social Therapy” from Humboldt University in Berlin, Germany, where he also obtained a doctorate in psychotherapy. He is a member of the Executive Committee of the European Network for the Evaluation of Mental Health Services (ENMESH).
Minister of Culture – Naiden Todorov
He was born in 1974 in Plovdiv, Bulgaria. He received his first piano lessons at the age of five, and made his conducting debut at only 16. Alexander Vladigerov in Bulgaria and Professor Karl Oesterreicher in Vienna had a great influence on his formation as a conductor. He graduated with honors from the “Dobrin Petkov“ Music School in Plovdiv and continued his studies in orchestral conducting in the legendary class of Professor Uros Lajovits, choral conducting with Professor Gunther Toering and opera conducting with Professor Konrad Leitner at the University of Music and Performing Arts in Vienna.
In the following years, Naiden Todorov guested on the stages of a number of the largest cultural centers in Europe, Asia, Africa and America, recording over 130 CDs for American, European and Israeli record companies.
Naiden Todorov has worked with all Bulgarian state orchestras and opera houses, as well as with many orchestras and opera houses in Europe, Asia, North and South America and Africa, among which the Vienna Symphony Orchestra, the Vienna Volksoper, the Berlin Symphony Orchestra, the Bogota Philharmonic Orchestra - Colombia, the National Orchestra of Brazil, the Tokyo Philharmonic Orchestra and many others stand out. etc.
In the period February - June 2023, he was the acting Minister of Culture. Appointed as the acting Minister of Culture on April 9, 2024. He is a composer in a number of Bulgarian films and series.
Minister of Agriculture and Food – Ivan Hristanov
He was born in the city of Sofia. He grew up and completed his secondary education at the Technical University of Construction Mechanization in Pleven, and after completing military service, he graduated as a Master of Economics at the University of National and World Economy with a specialty in “Agrarian Economics“.
Ivan Hristanov is a Bulgarian entrepreneur, economist and politician. Married, with three children. Between September 2021 and February 2022, he was one of the key figures of the PP “We Continue the Change“. Member of Parliament from “We continue the change“ in the XLVII and XLVIII National Assembly. In 2023, he founded the political party “Unity“, being elected its co-chairman together with Ivan Manev.
Minister of Environment and Water – Yulian Popov
He was born on September 21, 1959 in Sofia. Bulgarian writer and journalist, Minister of Environment and Water in the caretaker government of Marin Raykov, as well as in the regular government of Nikolay Denkov. Great-grandson of the Macedonian activist Nikola Gabrovski and Georgi Rafailovic.
He was the President of the European Building Efficiency Institute (BPIE).
He was the Goodwill Ambassador of Bulgaria for energy and climate policy and an advisor on energy security to the President of Bulgaria.
He was among the founders of the New Bulgarian University and its first executive director. Since 1994 he has lived in London. He also received British citizenship.
Minister of Economy and Industry - Irina Shtonova
Irina Shtonova holds a Master's degree in “Business Administration“ from “Stanford“ University in Palo Alto, USA and a PhD in Economics from the Sofia University“St. Kliment Ohridski“. She holds a bachelor's degree in economics from St. Olaf University, Northfield, USA. She has many years of experience in managing strategies and business processes of large companies.
As Vice President of Marketing and Strategy at the American telecom AT &T, she was responsible for expanding sales channels, introducing and pricing new products, financial planning and capital expenditures. Previously, she held the position of Director of Customer Service at the American satellite television company DirecTV (Los Angeles). She was a manager in the team of the consulting firm McKinsey “ in Bulgaria. She has experience in the field of financial supervision and business development.
Since August 2, 2022, she has been Deputy Minister of Economy and Industry.
Minister of Energy – Traycho Traykov
From 2009 to 2012, he was Minister of Economy, Energy and Tourism in the government of GERB and Boyko Borisov. Since 2013, he has participated in the activities of the Reformist Bloc, and in 2016 he was nominated and participated in the presidential candidate race on behalf of the Bloc.
Born in 1970 in Sofia. He is of Macedonian Bulgarian origin. Traykov completed his secondary education at the First English Language School, Sofia in 1989, and his higher education at the University of National and World Economy with a degree in “International Economic Relations“ in 1994. He subsequently specialized in financial analysis and management in Austria and Germany.
In the 2016 presidential elections, he ran for president together with Sabi Sabev. The couple was nominated by the Reformist Bloc.
On November 12, 2019, he took office as mayor of the “Sredets“ district, after being elected in a runoff with 54.21%.
Minister of e-Government – Georgi Sharkov
Georgi Sharkov is the director of the regional center of excellence of the European Software Institute in Sofia. He graduated in mathematics and computer science from Sofia University in 1986 and received a doctorate in computer science (artificial intelligence), specializing in applied informatics and applied research in biophysics and genetics. Since 1994, he has led international teams and projects for software and information systems in the field of banking and finance, online commerce, e-business and e-commerce solutions, Internet exchanges and interactive and cross-media systems.
Among the initiators of the Bulgarian Association of Software Companies - and chairman since 2001. Instructor in improving software processes. Initiator and promoter of international initiatives for regional branding and ICT competitiveness. One of the initiators of ICT Cluster Bulgaria.
Minister of Innovation and Growth - Irena Mladenova
Irena Mladenova holds a Master's degree in Business Administration from Sofia University "St. Kliment Ohridski" and a Master's degree in Banking and Entrepreneurship from MasterBE Business School, Italy. She worked for six years in the non-governmental sector with a main focus on SMEs and entrepreneurship, European integration, financial sector; her last position was executive director of the Institute for Economic Policy.
Since 2011, she has been working in the public sector as an economic policy advisor at the Ministry of Economy, Energy and Tourism, and then as part of the economic team in the Administration of the President of Bulgaria, where she worked in areas such as: innovation, competitiveness, investments, business environment. Irena Mladenova teaches at Sofia University "St. Kliment Ohridski" organizational development and change, entrepreneurship, marketing.
During the period 13 March 2013 - 29 May 2013, Irena Mladenova was Deputy Minister of Economy and Energy in the 88th caretaker government.
Minister of Tourism – Irena Georgieva
Irena Georgieva graduated from Sofia University "St. Kliment Ohridski" with a gold medal for excellent results and active public activity.
Almost her entire professional career has been related to tourism. She has nearly 25 years of management experience in this field as a head of travel agencies.
Irena Georgieva was appointed to the position of Deputy Minister of Tourism, which she held from February 2015 to May 2021.
Since 2006, she has been a member of the Management Board of the Association of Bulgarian Tour Operators and Travel Agents (ABTTA), and from 2009 to 2013 she was its Chairman. After that, she was again a member of the association's governing body until February 2015.
Irena Georgieva is also a recognized international specialist in tourism. She was a member of the Board of Directors of ESTAA, holding the positions of Director and Deputy Director in the organization, and from 2010 to 2012 she was also its President. From 2021 to 2023, Irena Georgieva is the representative of Bulgaria on the Board of Directors of the European Tourism Commission.
Minister of Youth and Sports - Dimitar Iliev
Dimitar Iliev was born on August 2, 1975 in Sofia, Bulgaria. He is the son of the famous motorist Vladimir Iliev (former national competitor, chief assistant and lecturer at the National Sports Academy and manager of the Iliev Rally Team).
He graduated from the Vocational High School of Transport, and in 1998 from the National Sports Academy, majoring in “Automobilism“. Assoc. Prof. Dr. Dimitar Iliev is a lecturer in the “Technical and Ice Sports“ Department at the NSA “Vasil Levski”, sector “Automotive and Motorcycle Sports“.
He is an expert in road safety. Over the years, this has become his cause. Dimitar is also the founder of the first safe driving academy, passing on his experience to over 2,000 people annually. He loves nature and often does sports in the mountains. He speaks English, German and Italian.
Minister of Youth and Sports in the regular government of Nikolay Denkov in 2023.