Plamen Oresharski

Bulgarian Prime Minister Boyko Borisov on Monday openly suggested Delyan Peevski, a lawmaker from the Movement for Rights and Freedoms (DPS) party, was "leaving the country".

Nikola Kazakov, Chairman of the State Agency for Refugees, has been dismissed, the Bulgarian government announced on Monday.

Kircho Kirov, one of Kazakov's deputies, will serve as interim chairman until the government appoints a new incumbent, the government press office said in a statement.

Bulgaria has nominated Irina Bokova, director of UNESCO, for the post of UN Secretary-General, the Foreign Ministry announced on Tuesday.

"With her biography and experience, Ms Bokova can be one of the important candidates in the upcoming campaign for a Secretary-General of the UN," the ministry said.

UNESCO Director General Irina Bokova is now officially Bulgaria's nominee for the office of UN Secretary General, a statement by the Foreign Ministry in Sofia shows.

The Bulgarian nomination for UN Secretary-General will be unveiled by the end of March.

This was by announced by Bulgarian Prime Minister Boyko Borisov in London on Thursday where he is participating in the international conference "Supporting Syria and the Region".

Former Bulgarian President Georgi Parvanov called on the government to immediately nominate Irina Bokova as a candidate for UN Secretary-General, threatening to withdraw his party's support if the cabinet fails to do so.

Parvanov is leader of left-wing Alternative for Bulgarian Revival (ABV), which is one of the two parties supporting the coalition government.

Lyutvi Mestan, the former head of Bulgaria's second-largest opposition party DPS, vowed to stay in politics despite recent developments.  

Bulgaria proved in 2015 that it is defending its national interest in spite of "activization of terrorist activity, increased migratory pressure and hybrid influence of third countries", Foreign Minister Daniel Mitov said Thursday.

His comment was a clear reference to the notion of "hybrid war" which some Bulgarian politicians accuse Russia of waging in Eastern Europe.

Bulgarian Prime Minister Boyko Borisov has warned it would take BGN 40-50 M (EUR 20-25 M) to hold new snap elections.

Parliament in Bulgaria defied on Thursday President Rosen Plevneliev's veto on legislative changes that ban civilians from heading the country's military intelligence agency.

The bill was then re-voted and passed by an overwhelming majority of 159-15, two abstaining.