site.btaContinue the Change - Democratic Bulgaria Proposes Ex-Environment Minister Julian Popov for EU Commissioner

Continue the Change – Democratic Bulgaria (CC-DB) has proposed former environment and water minister Julian Popov for European Commissioner, the coalition’s press service said on Wednesday.

The CC-DB Floor Leader Nikolay Denkov has sent a letter to caretaker Prime Minister Dimitar Glavchev, reiterating the coalition's position that Parliament should hear the nominees and decide who should be the next Bulgarian EU Commissioner. "Bulgaria is faced with an unprecedented political crisis, and the caretaker government does not have the necessary legitimacy to appoint the Bulgarian Commissioner for the next five years," the letter reads.

"Julian Popov is one of the most influential voices in European energy policy, and that is why we consider him a non-partisan candidate and a highly qualified expert. Nominating a non-partisan figure with global expert status at a time of political crisis is the way to show that the Bulgarian interest is greater than the party interest," the coalition further said.

Julian Popov has considerable expertise in other areas, including climate, environment, and education. He had served as environment minister in two governments and is among the founders of New Bulgarian University. Prior to taking office in the last regular government, he served as chairperson of the Buildings Performance Institute Europe, a leading independent think tank on energy performance of buildings.

"Bulgaria should be assigned a portfolio in the European Commission that is truly strategic for our country," the coalition said. "We believe that the Energy portfolio is a fitting one, as Bulgaria has proved that it can break free from its dependence on Russian gas, oil, and nuclear fuel," CC-DB added.

That is why nominating an expert in this field as an EU Commissioner will be of key importance both for the Bulgarian interest in Brussels and for the European interest on a global scale, the letter reads.

Bulgarian Caretaker Prime Minister Dimitar Glavchev Tuesday wrote to all parliamentary groups in the 50th National Assembly urging them to nominate a new Bulgarian EU commissioner by August 29. So far, four of the five groups in Parliament have put forward their nominations. GERB-UDF proposed for the job of Bulgarian EU Commissioner former Foreign Minister Ekaterina Zaharieva. The Movement for Rights and Freedoms (MRF) nominated former MEP Iskra Mihaylova and There Is Such a People put forward former Deputy Foreign Minister Velislava Petrova.