Rumen Porodzanov, the Bulgarian minister of Agriculture, handed in his resignation due to the fact that he is being held accountable for fraud with European Agricultural funds. He was responsible for the administrative body in Bulgaria which monitors the use of European funds for rural development during the time the irregularities occurred. His name has also come up in a scandal concerning private assets. His predecessor and current chairman of the agriculture committee in parliament, Desislava Taneva, will be taking over. She was the minister of Agriculture from 2014 to 2017 during Prime Minister Borisov's previous government.
Hundreds of tourist residences were financed using funds from the European program designated for rural development from 2007 to 2013. In hindsight, those residences were not always used for rural tourism but instead for private residences. This year, an investigation was launched into the paying agency that is being held accountable. The current agricultural minister Porodzanov was in charge when the infraction took place. He has handed in his resignation in order not to discredit the current government.
Source: Agrarheute