site.btaVice President Iotova Says She Is "A Bit Disappointed" with Bulgarian Portfolio in New European Commission

Speaking to reporters on Tuesday, Vice President Iliana Iotova said that she was "a bit disappointed" with the Bulgarian portfolio in Ursula von der Leyen's new European Commission. Iotova was referring to the Startups, Research, and Innovation portfolio of Ekaterina Zaharieva, who has been nominated for European Commissioner. The Vice President added that she had expected "some of the more resourceful portfolios to be assigned" to this country.

"I wish Ekaterina Zaharieva lots of success. The hearings before the European Parliament and the relevant committees will not be easy at all," Iotova said. 

"The job does not make the man. The man makes the job. I hope that she will have very good relations with her Romanian colleague, who will obviously hold the umbrella portfolio with regard to Bulgaria, as well as with at least three or four European commissioners whose portfolios are connected with the one that Bulgaria was assigned," the Vice President added.

Iotova said that she had hoped this country would get the cohesion policy and regional development portfolio. "What we need is for Bulgaria to put its foot down when it comes to a policy that is being questioned today. A large part of the funds envisaged for cohesion policy - the policy of cohesion of the European regions - sadly get allocated elsewhere," Iotova said.

"I wish Bulgaria were responsible for enlargement as well," the Vice President added. She expressed her disappointment with the fact that this portfolio had been awarded to "another Balkan country: Slovenia", and Austria was assigned migration policy. "It will take a lot of diplomatic efforts and skills for Ekaterina Zaharieva to do the job. I wholeheartedly wish her success," Iotova further said.

The Vice President commented on the topic ahead of an event at the French Embassy in Sofia marking 145 years of diplomatic relations between Bulgaria and France.