Those with a certain world-view might suggest that it is only in Western democracies that erring cabinet ministers might be made to walk the plank, fall on their swords or otherwise develop urgent impulses to spend more time with their families.

Countries in Central and Eastern Europe, this view might suggest, do not share the traditions of the acceptance – or imposition from above – of ministerial responsibility that leads precisely to a sudden and urgent need for a minister to return to the bosom of family.

Yet, it does happen, and there is more than one example of late. In Croatia, after a murder allegedly perpetrated on the orders of organised crime figures, prime minister Ivo Sanader fired not only the ministers of the interior and of justice but the chief of police as well. Croatia aspires to European Union membership and has been said to be not progressing sufficiently against crime. Notably, it seems that the bar has been set higher for Croatia precisely because of shortcomings in Bulgaria and Romania, post-EU accession.

Speaking of Romania, just lately there too a minister has been made to leave his post. Media reports say that the reason was the minister’s use of a state helicopter to get to his wedding, although it also has been suggested that the reason was that the minister, who had been in charge of education, has gone against his government’s will on the issue of teachers’ salaries.

So in this part of the world, dismissal of ministers is hardly unprecedented. Nor is it so that none have left office in Bulgaria, although overwhelmingly departures have tended to be the result of political intrigue rather than the penalty for incompetence.

Probably, the next question about whether one or another minister in Bulgaria should resign will arise either with the next European Commission report – a scheduled event – or the next public demonstration of incompetence, emerging amid a short-lived media scandal – an event no one need wait for long to happen.

Let alone questions of accountability and morality, it might be suggested that any government might be willing to make a sacrifice or two for the sake of survival, especially when it appears to be some months away from collectively walking the plank.