Minchev: Government drops partisan appointments of directors — new senior civil service law takes effect October 1

Public Administration Minister Goran Minchev announced that implementation of the new senior civil service law will begin on October 1, in his interview for the 4TV show “Noćno studio.” Although the grace period had been envisioned through the end of 2026, the minister said it would be “unserious” not to apply it now that all laws, decrees and regulations have already been adopted by the Government.

With this decision, the Government gives up the Cadre Commission’s previous right to appoint these officials. The process moves to a system with clear, high criteria, toward professionalizing and depoliticizing public administration.

Of roughly 100 leadership positions, competitions for about 20 of them will be announced immediately, with the aim of completing the entire procedure by December 31. At this pace, Minchev said, the state fulfills the reform obligations needed to draw financial resources from the European Commission.

In the same interview, the minister also revealed that when he took office he found 30 people on work contracts (dogovor na delo) who never showed up for work. Their contracts, he said, were terminated immediately.

Source: 4NEWS