The Five-Year Plan

To Ferdinand's surprise, the Stam Cabinet was much easier to deal with than he had imagined. He had already prepared himself for the possibility that his draft of the Five-Year Plan would be rejected and the cabinet would draw up a new one.

He hadn't expected these Liberals to be such political novices, handing over the reins without a fight.

Once the plan passed the National Assembly, Ferdinand would be the one calling the shots. That would naturally allow him to wrest some power from the Liberal Party.

If it succeeded, Ferdinand's position would be strengthened. If it failed, he could let the cabinet take the blame, steer public opinion toward questioning its ability to govern, and walk away unscathed.

It was a rather underhanded tactic, but an effective one. After a few years of noble life, the once down-and-out Ferdinand had begun turning into a politician, though his methods were still a little rough around the edges.

After more than half a month of hard work, the Stam Cabinet finally completed the Five-Year Plan. To accommodate everyone's interests, the list of provisions had grown longer and longer, covering every aspect of Bulgaria.

By the time it reached Ferdinand, it contained more than three hundred provisions of all sizes. Frankly speaking, the plan was quite good, but its biggest problem was that it was far too ambitious.

In Ferdinand's eyes, it was pure fantasy. It might all have been theoretically achievable, but the government had far too much to do!

That was the usual failing of idealists: they always wanted to get everything done at once. Ferdinand raised no objections. If the plan really came to fruition, Bulgaria would become the Balkan Overlord.

For now, it was better not to pour cold water on their enthusiasm. Judging by Stam's change in attitude, Ferdinand's scheme had already been seen through. But Bulgaria's development left him no choice but to hold back his objections.

On January 5, 1888, a day later historians would call "Bulgarian Revival Day," the Stam Cabinet submitted its world-shaking Five-Year Plan to the National Assembly, laying the foundation for Bulgaria's rise.

The National Assembly, dominated by the Liberal Party, passed the resolution without a hitch. Ferdinand signed it on the spot, declaring the law in effect. Bulgaria's grand Five-Year Plan was officially underway.

There were so many provisions that it actually made it easier for Ferdinand to seize power. With his scruples scattered across the floor, Ferdinand immediately called a cabinet meeting.

Looking at the cabinet members, all of them brimming with excitement, Ferdinand asked with a genial smile, "Prime Minister, now that the plan has been drawn up, where do you intend to begin?"

Stambolov was caught completely off guard. They had focused on drawing up the plan, but how were they supposed to put it into practice?

Ferdinand had only proposed five points. If everyone put in the effort, those might have been manageable! But now there were more than three hundred provisions, both large and small. How were they supposed to carry them out? How many people would they need? Where should they start?

There were problems everywhere! But as prime minister, he couldn't simply play dumb and say he hadn't thought anything through. Everyone was watching. If he couldn't offer even one workable suggestion, it would badly undermine his authority.

Stambolov knew he was in serious trouble. He had no shortage of rivals. If he couldn't show some ability, even those cabinet members might start eyeing his position as prime minister!

After a moment's silence, Stam braced himself and said, "Your Highness, please trust that the cabinet will come up with a satisfactory plan of action!"

"Of course I believe in the cabinet's ability. But this is a crucial moment in Bulgaria's development, and the people are watching us. I hope you can come up with a workable plan within three days," Ferdinand said, pretending to sound expectant.

Stambolov knew he had been set up. He couldn't even remember how he had left the palace; he made it home in a daze.

Today's events had already left everyone dissatisfied. Like most Liberals, they were all ambition and no ability—a failing common to revolutionaries the world over!

He summoned his aides to discuss the matter, and they all agreed that the king had trapped him. But Stambolov had completed the plan with the cabinet members. Ferdinand had proposed a mere five points, while they themselves had come up with more than three hundred. No one would believe otherwise!

"So what should I do now? I have to take some action, or I won't be able to answer for this," Stambolov said, rubbing his temples.

"Prime Minister, the plan has already passed, and even the opposition is singing its praises! Abandoning it is out of the question. We'll have to complete at least most of it to give the people an answer!" said Kobelev, Stambolov's most trusted aide.

"Mm, you're right. This is no longer just my problem. If we can't produce results, the entire cabinet will be held responsible, and the Liberal Party won't escape the blame either!" Stambolov understood what Kobelev meant: drag everyone into it. If they succeeded, everyone would be happy; if they failed, no one could get away.

Ferdinand paid no heed to what the cabinet might be thinking. He knew this was both difficult and easy. It was only a plan, after all; whether or not they had one, they could never complete every task. As long as they completed the five main items, Ferdinand would be satisfied!

If the cabinet managed to rise to the occasion and complete everything, he would be even happier. He would get his share of the credit either way.

Three days later, just as Ferdinand had expected, the Stam Cabinet produced a plan, though in Ferdinand's eyes it was full of holes!

Ferdinand nodded in satisfaction all the same. "Not bad! But with so much to do, can you really handle it all? Why not divide up the work? Let each department take responsibility for some of it, while the cabinet handles coordination. Wouldn't that be better?"

At the sight of everyone's eyes lighting up, Stambolov's expression darkened. Ferdinand had finally shown his hand—and the worst part was, no one could argue against him.

That was right: Ferdinand's ultimate goal was to devolve power. Once he handed authority down, it would be difficult to take it back.

Strengthening the ministries weakened the cabinet. The move was aimed mainly at Prime Minister Stambolov. Most of the other cabinet members also served as ministers, so they would lose little power.

Ferdinand couldn't tolerate the presence of a powerful minister. If Stambolov had truly been a once-in-a-generation talent, Ferdinand would have put up with him. Unfortunately, history had already shown that Stam lacked the ability of an Iron Chancellor.

Bulgaria's cabinet now consisted of five members: Prime Minister Stambolov, Minister of Economy Michael, Minister of Industry Wilson, Minister of Defense Sowell, and Minister of Interior Jonas.

The cabinet already had more than enough on its hands. It was impossible for it to manage several hundred projects as well, so devolving power was the most effective solution.

Stam exchanged glances with the others. He could tell the four of them had already agreed, so he couldn't refuse any longer.

Still, Stam had to make a show of it. "His Highness is right. The tasks must be divided. The five of us should each take responsibility for part of the work."

When he finished, Stam's expression darkened. After today, the cabinet would no longer be his one-man show. The others would gradually rise to his level.