Bulgaria's Deputy Prime Minister Stoil Tzitzelkov resigned on Friday, a day after a caretaker Cabinet took office ahead of April parliamentary elections.
Tzitzelkov, who would have been responsible for ensuring free and fair elections, resigned after facing criticism over allegations that he had previously been arrested for drug use and detained for driving under the influence of alcohol, according to the Bulgarian News Agency.
"It seems that at this point, my personality is rather a liability for our cause, which is fair elections. I will tender my resignation to the Prime Minister and to President Iliana Iotova so that, above all, the media could focus on the forthcoming elections rather than on me personally," Tzitzelkov said during a news conference earlier in the day.
The Government Information Service announced that Prime Minister Andrey Gurov accepted his resignation, while President Iliana Iotova also signed a decree relieving Tzitzelkov of his duties as caretaker deputy prime minister.
Bulgaria’s caretaker Prime Minister Andrey Gurov and his Cabinet took the oath of office before the National Assembly on Thursday ahead of the parliamentary elections set for April 19.
Bulgaria has been without a regular government since Prime Minister Rosen Zhelyazkov submitted his Cabinet’s resignation on December 11, 2025, after weeks of protests.
In mid-December, the president initiated the constitutional procedure for forming a new government, holding consultations with parliamentary groups in the 51st National Assembly.
Following three failed attempts to establish a government, the president was required to appoint a caretaker Cabinet and schedule early parliamentary elections within two months.
Last month, former President Rumen Radev resigned, transferring his duties to Vice President Iliana Iotova.
