site.btaCaretaker PM's Ex-Advisor Discusses Her Resignation, Cabinet's Performance

Meglena Plugchieva, who resigned as an advisor to caretaker Prime Minister Dimitar Glavchev on April 23, explained the reasons for her departure and commented on the Cabinet's performance in a Bulgarian National Television interview Sunday morning.

"It is my principle that if my experience and advice cannot be effective, there is no reason why I should remain [in a position] and fuel expectations that I will cope with all problems. I assume responsibility where I can actually honour my commitments. There is no reason why I should stay where my experience and advice are not used," Plugchieva said.

In her words, because of the political situation Bulgaria is projecting an "extremely bad image in Europe: part of the countries are ignoring us, and the rest are at a loss how to react."

Plugchieva was offered the foreign affairs portfolio but declined the offer because of her conviction that a caretaker cabinet should consist of politically neutral experts. "I have always been part of the political quota of the Foreign Ministry, which prompted me to believe that the principle of political non-affiliation should be respected. In this case, it would have been a good idea to appoint to the position a career diplomat with several tours on their record," the interviewee commented, adding that she personally recommended to Glavchev this option.

Ultimately, Glavchev took over the Foreign Ministry himself, after GERB Deputy Chair Daniel Mitov proved to be an unacceptable nomination.

Plugchieva described the latest decisions of the caretaker Cabinet as "stop gaps", referring to the ways the grievances of energy workers and farmers have been addressed.
 
Meglena Plugchieva has been Bulgaria's deputy agriculture minister and deputy prime minister and MP in three National Assemblies. She has also served as ambassador to Germany, Switzerland, Liechtenstein and Montenegro.