Ekaterina Zaharieva and Julian Popov are Bulgaria’s nominations for European commissioner, caretaker PM Dimitar Glavchev announced.

Ekaterina Zaharieva, nominated by GERB/SDS has a master’s degree in law from the Paisii Hilendarski University of Plovdiv and has been a member of three of the cabinets of GERB leader Boyko Borissov as deputy minister of regional development, minister of justice and minister of foreign affairs. She is currently a member of parliament from GERB/SDS.

Julian Popov, the nomination of We Continue the Change/Democratic Bulgaria (PP/DB) has graduated Bulgarian language and literature at the St. Kliment Ohbridski University in Sofia. He has lived in London since 1994 where he works as a journalist and consultant on institutional development, environmental policies, climate and education. He has been environment and water minister twice – in the caretaker cabinet of Marin Raykov and in the cabinet with PM Nikolay Denkov.

“Having met with all candidates from the parliamentary groups I ascertained they are all of the highest standard,” said Dimitar Glavchev. The other nominations submitted by the parliamentary forces represented in parliament are: Iskra Mihailova (Movement for Rights and Freedoms), Victor Papazov (Vazrazhdane), Dragomir Stoynev and Tsvetelina Penkova (Bulgarian Socialiust Party) and Velislava Petrova (There Is Such a People, ITN).

The caretaker government did not heed President Rumen Radev’s words from last night that Bulgaria should nominate two women for European commissioner:

“If we send one man and one woman that means there is absolutely no competition because the woman would immediately be chosen,” he said, and went on to explain that European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen had sent a letter to the Bulgarian PM in which she says Bulgaria must send two nominations, one of which must be a woman.