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SOFIA – The caretaker Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Dimitar Glavchev stated that the next government must appoint a new European Commissioner. Glavchev said this during a hearing at the Committee on European Affairs and Oversight of European Funds in the National Assembly regarding the procedure for drafting proposals for candidates for European Commissioner.
Currently, a procedure for forming a regular government is underway in the National Assembly following the parliamentary elections on June 9. Attempts to form a cabinet with the mandates of the two largest parliamentary groups were unsuccessful. The third parliamentary group, designated by the president – “There Is Such a People”, must declare to the head of state whether it has fulfilled the mandate to form a government. If the third mandate also fails, the constitution requires the president to appoint a caretaker government and schedule new parliamentary elections.
Guided by the understanding that the life of this government is very limited, I believe, unless something very much is requested by the European Commission, we should not take actions in this direction, so that the next government, in consultations with the political forces, can make these nominations, explained Glavchev. Let’s hope that afterward, the government will have clarity and actions can be taken, he also added. He described the process of nominating a European Commissioner as specific.
He said he received a letter from the President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen, which states that our country must present two nominations – a woman and a man – for European Commissioner. The deadline is August 30, Glavchev clarified. There is an option, if it is decided to propose the current European Commissioner Iliana Ivanova, she alone can be the candidate, the Prime Minister explained.
It is planned that candidates for future European Commissioners will be subjected to an examination by the European Parliament in the fall. Those who pass successfully will be included in the list of the new commission and will be voted on afterward by the MEPs.
The new European Commission is scheduled to take office on November 1.