2024-07-28 08:55:35
His contribution to politics turned out to be the conflict that made Rumen Radev president
For the second time, a person who is actually not completely accidental in politics, surprises us with the position he receives: Nikolay Nenchev. The first time was when he was appointed Minister of Defense in the second government of Boyko Borisov. A strange combination – a farmer becomes the minister of war.
In fact, Nikolay Nenchev was the leader of the BZNS party – part of the then “Reformers Bloc”, which in turn was a coalition partner of Boyko Borisov after some pre-election tricks. It got a little complicated, but those were the times…
If in 2014 there were simply doubts about how a farmer would lead the defense and modernize the army, then in 2024 President Rumen Radev was adamant that
Nenchev neither has the qualities nor the training to be ambassador to Ukraine
Thus, the head of state explained why he refused to appoint Nenchev to the post in Kyiv and the caretaker government had to look for backdoors.
Naturally, supporters of the former defense minister recall what a dedicated Euro-Atlantic he is and how deep his old conflict with Rumen Radev is. And he was involved in the fate of the MiG-29 and even went so far as to have the current head of state testify against a former minister. It got a little complicated again, I guess.
Actually, things are simple. Nikolay Nenchev entered the Ministry of Defense with a fairly decent biography for a minister – former chief of staff of Vice President Todor Kavaldzhiev, party leader with experience in parliament, heir to a family repressed by the communists, his uncle was in the first Bulgarian company in NATO back in the 60s those years. At least upon entering the ministry, Nenchev also sounded like a person who has the vision of what to do at the head of defense and how to modernize the army. But…
“However, this is not the most difficult case in this cabinet, as soon as Bozhidar Lukarski takes over the economy…”,
commented in 2014 Todor Kavaldzhiev, for whom Nenchev had worked in the presidency. Otherwise he was a good boy, explained the old farmer.
In fact, Nenchev remained in the history of the Bulgarian Army with extravagance and unfulfilled promises. And his only success in his first 100 days in office was that he got a hair transplant. When Nenchev entered the ministry, his head was quite bald, and less than three months later he already had nice curls like Bobi Mihailov’s.
Naturally, the rather rigid generals and colonels, who themselves also like to gloat, accepted their minister’s acquisition with derision. And a nasty nickname for a type of textile flooring.
And somehow, by the way, Nenchev also noted other achievements. Like appointing the actress Valeria Kardashevska as his head of the political cabinet. And he gossiped about how there was a special waiter in the dining room for their table. Or the claims of political scientist Anton Todorov that he hired a prostitute – this is another woman, whose name we will not recall.
And to all this, Nenchev replied that he was being attacked by Russian hybrids, even when this was not fashionable.
However, the minister simultaneously pushed the modernization of the army. It didn’t work out for him either with the uniforms, or with the increase in wages and the distribution of bonuses, or with the purchase of new equipment. With the formal motive that the budget has no money due to the bankruptcy of KTB. And he had such big ambitions…
However, without being able to cover his ambitions, Nenchev forced himself to break the biggest taboos, including his proposal to let foreign planes help the Air Force in protecting our skies. A
the commander of the air force at that time was gen. Rumen Radev, whose beloved MiG-29 fighters needed urgent repairs
Partly because the money and resources of the Air Force were thrown into an air show over Sofia, in which Radev showed what a wonderful pilot he is. And in search of a solution to this problem, Rumen Radev demanded that the MiG-29s be repaired by Russia. And Nenchev categorically refused.
Radev’s resignation was reached, which, in violation of all statutes, was submitted neither to the minister nor to the president, who was then Rosen Plevneliev, but to Prime Minister Boyko Borisov. Who, in turn, begged Radev, promised him a few million for the Air Force and put out the fire.
But the war was already raging. In the end, however, Nenchev prevailed and sent the Bulgarian fighters to Poland for repairs. And there followed an exchange of signals to the prosecutor’s office between him and Rumen Radev – who did the fraud. And as part of these signals
Nenchev accused Radev of being in a conflict of interest because he appointed his mistress
for the press of the Air Force. The general later married Desislava, who is currently the first lady.
It got complicated again…
But Nenchev, who was no longer a minister, went to the courtrooms as an accused. And there they called on Rumen Radev, who had already become president, to testify against his former minister. In the end, the whole saga ended as expected – Nenchev was acquitted of all charges. Even for property dealers through the “Rural Honor” foundation.
But his conflict with Rumen Radev continued to rumble and rumble over the years. However, because of his signal of a conflict of interest for Desislava, the prosecutor’s office eavesdropped on senior generals, which led to the invasion of prosecutors in the presidency and a waved fist from Rumen Radev.
From then on, how complicated it became…
But it cannot be denied that Nikolay Nenchev is a historical figure with his wonderful curls. For better or for worse, everyone decides for themselves.