site.btaFinance Minister Expects Few Changes to Cabinet after Rotation in March

Minister of Finance Assen Vassilev, who spoke to reporters here on Tuesday, said that he expects relatively few changes in the Cabinet after the rotation. Vassilev said he believes that talks between Prime Minister Nikolay Denkov and Deputy Prime Minister Mariya Gabriel have begun.

Vassilev said: "The process we have adopted is for them [Denkov and Gabriel] to look at the Cabinet, look at the ministers, come up with proposals, and then have the political formations either support or reject those proposals."

Asked whether he will be deputy prime minister after the rotation, Vassilev said no such offer has been made so far. "When it gets made, I will answer that question," he said and added that he expects no structural changes to the Cabinet.

Asked whether he expects the establishment of a new political formation backed by President Rumen Radev, Vassilev expressed hope that this does not happen, as it would violate the Constitution.

Asked about Denkov's announced proposal to abolish tuition fees for undergraduate and PhD students with changes to the Higher Education Act, Vassilev shared that he believes introducing free education for students would be beneficial, however, it should be done through the Stambolov programme or a similar one. According to the Minister, students whose tuition has been covered for five years should be obligated to work in Bulgaria for two to four years, so that the country can recoup its investment.