"President [Jean-Claude] Juncker received this morning the proposal by Bulgarian Prime Minister Boyko Borissov for nominating Mrs Mariya Gabriel as the candidate to replace former Member of the Commission Kristalina Georgieva," the statement read.
According to the statement, the European Commission president should receive Gabriel for an interview to establish her ability to serve as a European Commissioner. The procedure requires a consultation of the European Parliament after which the EU Commission president and the EU Council will appoint the new Commissioner.
Bulgaria has not had an EU commissioner since December 31, 2016, when the country's representative Georgieva left the post of vice president of the European Commission to take the position of CEO of the World Bank.
Gabriel is vice-chair of the European People's Party (Christian Democrats), the largest group within the European Parliament which promotes center-right policies. She is also a member of Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs, the Delegation to the Parliamentary Assembly of the Union for the Mediterranean and a number of other delegations.
