OFFICES OF STATE
Terms of office
- Prime minister · caretaker government — First caretaker government
- Prime minister · caretaker government — Second caretaker government
Social policy and administrative experience
Galab Donev has education and professional experience in law, finance and social policy. He worked at different levels of public administration and served as labour and social policy minister in caretaker cabinets in 2017 and 2021. His background connects him with labour relations, social protection and the administration of public institutions.
Work in the presidency and two cabinets
Before becoming prime minister, Donev worked in the presidency on social and demographic matters. In August 2022 he headed a caretaker government after Kiril Petkov’s cabinet, and in February 2023 began a second caretaker term. The consecutive appointments reflected continuing difficulty in forming a regular parliamentary government.
The Greece–Bulgaria gas interconnector
On 1 October 2022, during Donev’s first cabinet, the Greece–Bulgaria gas interconnector began commercial operation. Official information on the opening emphasises its connection with the Southern Gas Corridor and diversification of supplies. The project had been prepared and built under earlier administrations; entry into operation was the specific milestone within this term.
Continuity and subsequent offices
Donev handed the premiership to Nikolai Denkov in June 2023. His subsequent career again passed through the presidential administration. The official government biography in 2026 presents him as deputy prime minister and finance minister. These later offices are separate from his two caretaker terms and demonstrate a continuing role in state administration.
Sources and documents
References accompany each section. Speeches and reports by political figures also reflect their own perspective.
- Council of Ministers · Galab Donev ↗www.government.bg
- Italian Embassy · Greece–Bulgaria interconnector ↗ambsofia.esteri.it
Reference data last reviewed: . End dates in the timeline indicate the handover of office.
