Bulgaria’s Interior Ministry chief fired in run-up to parliamentary elections

Acting on the recommendation of the caretaker Cabinet, head of state President Iliyana Yotova has signed a decree dismissing Miroslav Rashkov as chief secretary of the Interior Ministry, a statement by the President’s office on February 25 said.

The announcement came two days after caretaker Interior Minister Emil Dechev said that the interim government had at its first meeting that day agreed to his recommendation that Rashkov’s dismissal be sought.

Bulgaria is heading to early parliamentary elections to be held on April 19, with the caretaker government’s main task being to ensure the integrity of the vote.

“As a caretaker government, we don’t have much time to organize fair and lawful elections,” Dechev said on February 23.

He said that the Interior Ministry chief secretary has an important role in the electoral process.

He cited, as reasons to oust Rashkov, the grave shortcoming in the 2025 municipal elections in Pazardzhik, police conduct during the November 26 2025 protests in Sofia that saw an incident of arson, the absence of the ministry’s leadership in clarifying what happened in the gunfire deaths at the Petrohan chalet, the failure to investigate the threats against the mayor of Bistritsa in July 2025; and Rashkov having failed to pay road traffic fines.

“The chief secretary, who holds the highest position in the Ministry of Interior and should be an example, does not pay his fines for tickets under the Road Traffic Act. Only today, after I ordered an inspection on this issue – with regard to all managers in the ministry, and after the traditional leak of information, were all five paid,” Dechev said.

The caretaker government headed by Andrei Gyurov, in a decision on February 23, replaced all 28 district governors.

Caretaker Justice Minister Andrey Yankulov wants the Supreme Judicial Council to meet on February 26 to elect an acting Prosecutor-General, with Yankulov saying that Borislav Sarafov’s current tenure of the post is illegal.

On February 25, the Justice for All civic initiative was holding the latest in a series of public protests demanding the ouster of Sarafov.