After publications of photos of members of the Patriotic Front, part of the new ruling coalition, in Nazi greeting poses, the new Bulgarian government had been shaken by a series of scandals. Pavel Tenev, deputy minister of regional development, and Ivo Antonov, a senior official in the Defense Ministry, were sacked after strong public reaction. Valeriy Simeonov, chairman of the Patriotic Front, has thus far rejected requests to resign. European politicians have urged Prime Minister Boyko Borisov to rethink his coalition with the far-right Patriotic Front.