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Bulgaria's EU Commissioner Nominations
Being in a very dynamic, turbulent political period without a stable government, Bulgaria is striving to catch the deadline and nominate a candidate for the European Commission. Only 3 countries – Belgium, Bulgaria, and Italy – are left to announce their respective picks until August 30, 2024.
In this challenging context, the caretaker Prime Minister, which limited prerogatives prevent long-term decision-making, has taken the unusual step of consulting all political parties for their nominations. Dimitar Glavchev received seven nominations so far and by the end of the week, he is expected to propose two candidates - one male and one female - to Brussels.
Since 2007, the year of its accession to the EU, Bulgaria has always nominated a female candidate thus contributing the internal rules of the European Parliament to consider gender balance. Unlike the previous term, this time only seven of the 27 EU member states have proposed a female candidate, which could pose a challenge. This time the selection process is further complicated for the European Commission President, Ursula von der Leyen by the fact that, most of the next College of Commissioners will be newcomers – compared to the previous term where a large number of Commissioners repeated their term with a different portfolio. The incoming European Commission President is also expected to reshuffle portfolios, possibly upgrading some to Vice-Presidencies.
With the deadline approaching, more rumours about possible Regional Policy portfolio for Bulgaria are coming on the surface. However, internal political divisions and delayed nominations have weakened the country's position. Despite the challenges, the Regional Policy portfolio still offers Bulgaria a significant opportunity to shape cohesion policy, support for the regions, and key development projects across Europe.
To learn more about our Bulgarian expertise, reach out to Sofia office Managing Partner, Gergana Aneva.
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