George Ivanov Sharkov

Public record

Compiled from publications and official records as of 18.10.2026. Every statement links to its source; claims made by others are marked as such, with who makes them. Quotations in English are our translation.

Corruption and scandals

• On a foundation board with Sasha Bezuhanova. Caretaker minister Georgi Sharkov sits on the management board of the foundation Клъстер информационни и комуникационни технологии together with the businesswoman Sasha Bezuhanova, writes Mediamall, citing a check by Филтър. The outlet describes her as a donor to the Petrohan ranger group. The media allege a conflict of interest because he did not leave the board after taking office. This framing was pushed by ИТН, an opposition party that demanded his resignation, and by Mediamall sites. In a BNR interview on 13.03.2026 Sharkov confirmed: „като факти е вярно - участвам в тези неправителствени организации“ ("as facts it is true – I take part in these non-governmental organisations", our translation). He said it is not a big problem. He did not resign and said he did not see himself as a scapegoat. No charge or sanction against him has been found. — Mediamall, 25.02.2026, BNR, Horizont programme, 13.03.2026
• ИТН demanded his resignation over the voting machines, 11.03.2026. The ИТН parliamentary group (Stanislav Balabanov, Toshko Yordanov), an opposition party in a political dispute with the caretaker cabinet, said: „Искаме оставката на служебния министър на електронното управление Георги Шарков“ ("We demand the resignation of caretaker e-Government minister Georgi Sharkov", our translation). ИТН said he showed complete ignorance of the certification and preparation of the voting machines, and that it also suspected the Smartmatic machines. Sharkov replied that there was no proof the machines could be manipulated. No wrongdoing was established. He stayed in office until 08.05.2026 and nothing followed from the demand. — Utro Ruse, 11.03.2026
• Clip of him saying „прекарвам“ about machine voting, 19.03.2026. informiran.net published a clip in which Sharkov says: „ПРЕКАРВАМ всички български граждани да гласуват с машини“ ("I am putting all Bulgarian citizens through voting with machines", our translation). The outlet presents it as a scandalous admission. The same text was copied by other sites. Nothing followed and no wrongdoing is documented. — informiran.net, 19.03.2026

Other

• Hostile campaign against him after the cabinet ended. Sharkov, caretaker e-Government minister in the Gyurov cabinet, was being lined up by the governing majority as an adviser to Ivan Vasilev, minister of innovation and digital transformation, according to an unsigned Big5.bg article. The same text appears on Nbox, Afera and Mediamall, which belong to one network. The articles call him a charlatan. They claim that as minister he halted cyber-defence measures and that he has ties to associates in IT circles. The sources are anonymous. No appointment has been confirmed and the claims are unproven. — BIG5.BG, 22.05.2026