Rumen Radev’s cabinet including Minister of Energy Iva Petrova takes office in Bulgaria

Bulgarian lawmakers voted Prime Minister Rumen Radev’s cabinet into office. New Minister of Energy Iva Petrova comes from the position of deputy minister, which she has held since 2021. The government also includes Minister of Environment and Water Rositsa Karamfilova-Blagova.

The National Assembly of Bulgaria elected today the Council of Ministers led by former President Rumen Radev, who resigned in January to participate in the general election. He pointed out that his Progressive Bulgaria platform’s cabinet was proposed faster than ever since the introduction of democracy, underscoring the sense of duty to citizens and the challenges facing the country.

Before serving as the country’s fifth president from 2017, the 62-year-old prime minister had a career in the military, from which he retired as major general. Radev had over 1,400 flight hours as a fighter pilot. From 2014 to 2016 he was the chief of the Bulgarian Air Force.

The government was elected with 124 votes in favor of 240 in total, of which 70 lawmakers were against and 36 abstained. With the new single-list administration, the country is apparently emerging from deep political turmoil, after eight parliamentary elections in five years.

Minister of Energy Iva Petrova oversaw National Recovery and Resilience Plan in her previous role

Minister of Energy Iva Ventsislavova Petrova started her career in 2000 at the very same ministry. Since 2021, she has been deputy minister in a string of consecutive regular and caretaker governments. Petrova was responsible for funds from the National Recovery and Resilience Plan, part of the European Union’s NextGenerationEU mechanism and Recovery and Resilience Facility.

Petrova vowed to establish consumer protection mechanisms

As deputy minister, she also worked on the development and implementation of the energy strategy and territorial plans for coal regions, domestic media reported. Her responsibilities included renewables, energy efficiency, infrastructure and market liberalization.

Upon taking office, Petrova expressed commitment to developing a stable, sustainable and competitive energy sector for the benefit of Bulgarian citizens and businesses. “Solutions for nuclear energy, renewable energy and coal-fired power, storage systems, as well as gas and electricity infrastructure have their key role in ensuring energy security and independence,” the minister stated. She added that the establishment of effective protection mechanisms for consumers in a period of serious volatility in energy prices is of paramount importance for preserving access to the energy supply.

Experience in advisory services

Iva Petrova left the ministry in 2009 from the position of director of energy markets, restructuring and projects, to become director of projects and investments at the state-owned Bulgarian Energy Holding (BEH). She gained experience in consulting services as a partner in companies 3B Advisory and SP-90, and associate at Baringa Partners.

The minister is an assistant lecturer at Sofia University St. Kliment Ohridski, where she graduated from and got a master’s degree in business administration and strategic management. She is teaching management and marketing in energy and utility companies in master programs. Petrova has a postgraduate diploma in contemporary European studies from the University of Birmingham in the United Kingdom.

She also completed postgraduate training at the University of Birmingham, UK. She has specializations in Hungary, Japan, and Belgium. Iva Petrova is a member of the Managing Board of Bulgarian Chevening Association.

Third ministerial run for Rositsa Atanasova Karamfilova-Blagova

Minister of Environment and Water Rositsa Atanasova Karamfilova-Blagova had the same role in two interim cabinets in 2022 and 2023. After that, she became President Radev’s environmental advisor.

In the period 2022-2023, she held the position of Minister of Environment and Water in two consecutive caretaker governments. From 2023 to 2025, she was the Advisor on Ecology to the President of the Republic of Bulgaria, after which she served as the executive director of the Executive Environment Agency.