Bulgarian parties should submit their nominations for the country’s new European Commissioner by the end of the week, acting Prime Minister Dimitar Glavchev stated, according to Euractiv.
The statement came after President Rumen Radev confirmed on Monday that Glavchev would remain interim prime minister for another term.
By the end of the week, the government should nominate the Bulgarian proposal for a European commissioner.
According to unofficial information from Eurojust, Bulgaria’s main candidate is the current Bulgarian Commissioner Iliana Ivanova, responsible for innovation, research, culture, education, and youth.
However, Petar Vitanov, former head of the Bulgarian Socialists’ delegation to the European Parliament, said he was concerned about Bulgaria’s delayed and limited participation in talks with the European Commission.
The more time passes, the more pessimistic I become about the possibility of getting a serious and solid portfolio. There is no one to negotiate with Brussels. From my conversation with two commissioners, I understood that no such negotiations have been held – Bulgaria has not negotiated for any portfolio. A short time is left before the deadline, in which a caretaker prime minister has to be elected and only then to act. That will leave us with a portfolio that nobody wants. Pitiful crumbs.
Bulgaria would like to get the energy and transport portfolio, but Greece was seen as a favourite in that area.
It would be difficult to get it. The [energy] sector is attractive; other countries have already shown interest. These countries are also advanced in negotiations.
He also stressed that, according to his information, Bulgaria, Romania, and Slovakia held three portfolios: regional policy, transport, and defence.
