site.btaUPDATED PM Ready with Review of Government Ministers' Performance, Expects to Discuss It with Deputy PM Gabriel This Week

Prime Minister Nikolay Denkov said here Tuesday that he is ready with a review of the performance of the government ministers and expects to discuss it with Deputy Prime Minister Mariya Gabriel this week. Gabriel is expected to take over as Prime Minister some time in March in a government rotation - if GERB and Continue the Change - Democratic Bulgaria reach an agreement on the details of the rotation.

Denkov said that he has not discussed the matter with Gabriel because she was abroad a lot in the recent days but said such talks are coming up. "We have just agreed that we will discuss the review with Ms Mariya Gabriel this week," said Denkov.

He also said that all ministers did well there job "but clearly there are remarks for the work of each". "I am happy with their performance. Any criticism I have is more about not communicating well enough. There was a long period of time during which they did great job but too little was heard about it," he said.

Denkov believes that any changes in the future government should be "minimal and very well-justified". 

"The process is ongoing. As has been said on other occasions, Ms Gabriel and I have an understanding that the [rotation] process must be smooth. What is creating more tension is how some positions will be filled in the National Assembly: the anti-corruption commission, the Supreme Judicial Council, the Prosecutors Council and the regulators. It should be clear to everyone that this is a key issue and how Bulgarians will live and how businesses will work in the coming years depends on it. It is about how the State will work in the coming years. There is a risk here and it is exclusively in the National Assembly," Denkov further said. 

Asked by a reporter whether it will be clear by the end of this week who will be the foreign minister, the Prime Minister said: "It is a [minor] detail against the backdrop of the large questions facing us. The important thing for us is to have free communication with foreign partners. It is clear that the Prime Minister and the Foreign Minister are the ones who have the daily opportunity to communicate with them."

Denkov is optimistic about the rotation and reconfirmed that he would resign on March 6 to open up the way for the government rotation.

"When Mariya Gabriel and I reach an agreement [about the ministers], we will go to the party leaders with it. This team should work as one rather than divide along party lines," said Denkov.