Less than a month after taking office on May 8, Prime Minister Rumen Radev’s government launched a broad overhaul of key state institutions, replacing senior officials across the security, customs, energy, agriculture, food safety, and administrative sectors. The changes follow a familiar pattern in Bulgarian politics, where new governments often install their own teams in strategic positions.
The cabinet emerged after the April 19 parliamentary elections, in which Radev’s Progressive Bulgaria secured an absolute majority, allowing the government to be formed quickly. Since then, the administration has moved rapidly to replace a number of influential officials, including the acting head of the State Agency for National Security (SANS), all 28 regional governors, the director of the Customs Agency, members of the board of the Bulgarian Energy Holding (BEH), the heads of the State Fund Agriculture and the Bulgarian Food Safety Agency (BFSA), as well as the executive director of the Registry Agency.
Security Services and High-Profile Changes
Among the most notable developments was the departure of acting SANS chief Denyo Denev. The government appointed Stancho Stanev, a longtime security official, as acting chairman until a permanent head is selected. Stanev was also named deputy chairman of the agency for a five-year term.
