The Bulgarian government announced on Wednesday 10 May that it had proposed MEP Mariya Gabriel as its country’s candidate for a post within the European Commission under President Jean-Claude Juncker following the resignation at the end of 2016 of then Budget Commissioner Kristalia Georgieva to take up a post at the World Bank in Washington.
According to Bulgarian Foreign Minister Ekaterina Zaharieva, Gabriel could be given the position of digital economy commissioner. This would see her take over the portfolio held at one time by Günther Oettinger (Germany) who has since replaced Georgieva as the budget commissioner. The digital economy portfolio was handed by Juncker temporarily to Vice-President Andrus Ansip.
When asked, Ansip said that the decision was one for Juncker to take. “There are pros and cons, as always”, he stated, expressing his confidence that the Bulgarians will be able to further the digital agenda.
Gabriel, who will soon celebrate her 38th birthday, has been an MEP since 2009 and is the deputy leader of the EPP Group in the European Parliament. She is a member of the ruling Citizens for European Development of Bulgaria (GERB) party. She sits on the Parliament’s civil liberties, justice and home affairs committee and, in 2016, led the EU observation mission for the presidential elections in Gabon.
In a press release published on Wednesday 10 May, the Commission states that Juncker had discussed the proposal for nomination with Bulgarian Prime Minister Boiko Borissov in a telephone conversation on Friday 5 May. The next step is for President Jean-Claude Juncker to interview Gabriel to determine her ability to serve as a commissioner. On the basis of the interview, Juncker will decide on the allocation of a portfolio, in line with Article 17(6) of the Treaty on European Union. The appointment of a new commissioner requires common accord between the president of the Commission and the Council, after consulting the European Parliament following its hearing with the candidate (Article 246, subparagraph 2 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union). In addition, the interinstitutional framework agreement on relations between the European Parliament and the European Commission requires the president of the Commission to “seriously consider” the results of the consultation of the European Parliament before giving his accord to the decision of the Council to appoint the new commissioner.
EPP Group leader Manfred Weber says in a press release that Gabriel is a very competent MEP and notes that she has had responsibility for various important issues since she was first elected in 2009. (Original version in French by Lionel Changeur with Sophie Petitjean)