site.btaUPDATED GERB-UDF Nominates EU Commissioner Mariya Gabriel as Prime Minister

The GERB-UDF coalition is nominating the present EU Commissioner for Innovation, Research, Culture, Education and Youth Mariya Gabriel as prime minister, GERB leader Boyko Borissov told the National Assembly on Wednesday.

On May 15, President Rumen Radev will present the first cabinet-forming mandate to the GERB-UDF parliamentary group, which has 69 seats in the 240-seat Parliament.

Gabriel was born on May 20, 1979, in Gotse Delchev, South Western Bulgaria. In 2001, she graduated with a Bachelor's Degree in Bulgarian and French languages from the Paisii Hilendarski University of Plovdiv. In 2003, she graduated with a Master's Degree in Comparative Politics and International Relations from the Institut d'etudes politiques de Bordeaux, France.

A member of the European Parliament with the European People's Party (EPP)/GERB since July 14, 2009. Vice-President of the EPP Group in the European Parliament between June 4, 2014, and July 16, 2017.

European Commissioner for Innovation, Research, Culture, Education and Youth since December 1, 2019.

At a press conference in response to questions related to Gabriel's nomination as prime minister, European Commission Deputy Chief Spokesperson Dana Spinant said that Commissioner Mariya Gabriel had talks with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen on Tuesday and is on unpaid leave as of Wednesday. While Gabriel is on leave, her duties will be taken over by Commission Vice-Presidents Margrethe Vestager and Margaritis Schinas. The Commission will communicate these changes to the European Parliament and the EU Council, Spinant added.

Asked what would happen if Gabriel's nomination for prime minister is confirmed, Spinant said that in principle the procedure for nominating commissioner-designates provides for each government to make a proposal, and the Bulgarian authorities have to send theirs.