The changes to top positions announced by Bulgarian Prime Minister Boiko Borissov on January 19 and 20 2010 brought praise for some quarters, criticism from others – including politicians who complained of being snubbed – and, inevitably, speculation about future control of financial and economic policy.
 
The appointment of Princeton graduate and macroeconomics professor Ilian Mihov to Cabinet rank, without immediately clarity on his title and job description, led Bulgarian financial daily Pari to speculate that the ground was being prepared for the exit of Simeon Dyankov, Finance Minister and Deputy Prime Minister.
 
Political analyst Mira Radeva was quoted by Pari as saying that the insertion of Mihov into the Cabinet represented an assessment of Dyankov’s performance, but the article was swiftly followed by an official denial that Dyankov, a World Bank chief economist brought back to Bulgaria to be the point man towards economic recovery, was for the high jump.

Further, speaking to journalists on January 21 after he confirmed that Mihov would be Bulgaria's deputy prime minister in charge of macro-economic matters, Borissov praised Dyankov and said that the fact that two credit rating agencies, Moody's and Standard & Poor's recently had improved Bulgaria's credit ratings was evidence of Dyankov's good work.
 
While there was universal praise for Foreign Minister-designate Nikolai Mladenov, who has a sound background academically and in his experience in foreign affairs, there was debate in the columns of Bulgarian newspapers about how the reshuffle prompted by the departure of Roumyana Zheleva would affect Borissov.
 
Commentator Haralan Alexandrov, interviewed by Bulgarian-language mass-circulation daily Trud, said that Mladenov was an excellent choice to be Foreign Minister and it was highly likely that replacing Zheleva with World Bank executive Kristalina Georgieva as Bulgaria’s candidate European Commissioner would eradicate the negative fallout from the Zheleva controversy.
 
Alexandrov, however, cautioned the Government to rethink whether it was advisable to field weak candidates when it had strong ones. This was a popular topic in Bulgaria’s national conversation after Borissov confirmed that when he was about to form his Cabinet in July 2009, his first choice for foreign affairs had been Mladenov, not Zheleva.
 
A commentary in daily Sega was more critical, saying that the Zheleva Affair had damaged Borissov because he had been seen to make a mistake, and worse, this had benefited his socialist opponents who had been left supine after Borissov’s 2009 election victory.
 
There were complaints from two right-wing parties that so far generally have supported Borrisov, the Democrats for a Strong Bulgaria (DSB) and the Union of Democratic Forces (UDF), which together make up the Blue Coalition.
 
DSB leader Ivan Kostov complained that he had not been consulted about the Cabinet changes (for the record, Borissov’s GERB rules on its own with no coalition partners) and UDF leader Martin Dimitrov said that because Borissov had no consulted them about the new appointments, these remained the sole responsibility of Borissov.
Ultra-nationalist Ataka leader Volen Siderov, who since the elections has been a staunch ally of Borissov, was quick to say that when the Cabinet changes were put to Parliament, Ataka would vote in favour.
 
Among foreign media commentaries, European Voice described the withdrawal of Zheleva as a "sad end to an unhappy few weeks in the European spotlight".
 
"Although MEPs might puff themselves up with pride at having brought down at least one nominee, self-congratulation is hardly warranted. In the way that the hearings have been structured and the way that most MEPs have conducted themselves – showing themselves pathologically incapable of simple questions and straightforward follow-through – has ensured most commissioners-designate have been able to get away without committing any howlers or committing Barroso II to uncomfortable promises," the European Voice said.
 
"A half-decent politician ought to have been able to pass the test of a Parliamentary hearing. EPP accusations of a witch-hunt against Jeleva are overdone: Jeleva failed because she was not even half-decent. Maroš Šefcovic, on the other hand, who was the target of something suspiciously like a witch-hunt, passed with flying colours."
 
The commentary said that Zheleva was not the only one at fault, because Borissov should not have nominated her in the first place, a point he had underlined by nominating Georgieva, a much stronger replacement. EC President Jose Barroso should not have accepted the nomination of Zheleva, "but the EPP has been desperate to encourage Borisov and has been reluctant to take a tough line with him".
 
Political analyst Radeva, speaking to Bulgarian news agency Focus, said that Zheleva had withdrawn to prevent crippling public support for the Borissov Cabinet.
 
Radeva praised what she called the "rapid reaction" of replacing Zheleva with Georgieva as the country’s candidate Commissioner and with Mladenov as Foreign Minister, and said that Zheleva had maintained her personal dignity.
 
"We have never seen such fast reshuffle of a minister as a result of public pressure," Radeva said, interpreting it as a "good sign" that the Government was remaining aware of public opinion.