European Parliament approves Iliana Ivanova as European Commissioner

With 522 votes in favour, 27 against and 51 abstentions, on September 12, the European Parliament approved Iliana Ivanova as Commissioner for Innovation, Research, Culture, Education, Youth and Sport.

With the vote in plenary in Strasbourg, the European Parliament concludes the procedure for the election of the Bulgarian Commissioner. For Ivanova to take up her post, she must be approved by the European Council, which is expected to take place in the coming days.

Iliana Ivanova will be a member of the current European Commission for about a year, until the end of its term of office in late 2024.

Until now, she was the Bulgarian representative in the European Court of Auditors, and before that - MEP from GERB.

Ivanova takes over from Mariya Gabriel, who resigned from the Commission in May to become Bulgaria’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister.

The leadership of the European Parliament approves Iliana Ivanova as European Commissioner