IN: Valeri Tsvetanov was the surprising nomination of the Movement for Rights and Freedoms (MRF) as the new Minister of Agriculture. In the first hours after his name was leaked to the media, little if nothing was known about him. Later it was announced that Tsvetanov is a professor in agriculture studies and had experience in the private sector where he dealt with the use of EU funds. He has little experience in politics, as an MRF candidate for Parliament in 2005 when he failed to win election. Currently he works at the Nikola Poushkarov Institute of Soil Studies in Sofia.

OUT: Days before Prime Minister Sergei Stanishev announced the news of his replacement, agriculture minister Nihat Kabil said he had done his duty and was ready to go back to Parliament as an MRF MP. The agriculture ministry has often been accused by farmers of lack of transparency in the allocation of EU funds. Among the big changes that happened during Kabil’s time was restructuring within the ministry, moving control of forests in Bulgaria to a newly formed state agency. This agency went under the control of the Bulgarian Socialist Party, which was regarded as a loss by the MRF.