Mariya Gabriel
Mariya Ivanova Gabriel (Bulgarian: Мария Иванова Габриел; née Nedelcheva, Bulgarian: Неделчева; born 20 May 1979) is a Bulgarian politician and a member of the GERB party, serving as Deputy Prime Minister of Bulgaria and Minister of Foreign Affairs since 2023. She served as European Commissioner for Innovation, Research, Culture, Education and Youth between December 2019 and May 2023 and as a Member of the European Parliament (MEP) from 2009 to 2017.
Mariya Gabriel | |
|---|---|
| Мария Габриел | |
Gabriel in 2023 | |
| Deputy Prime Minister of Bulgaria | |
| Assumed office 6 June 2023 | |
| Prime Minister | Nikolai Denkov |
| Preceded by | Atanas Pekanov Ivan Demerdzhiev Hristo Alekseiv Lazar Lazarov |
| Minister of Foreign Affairs | |
| Assumed office 6 June 2023 | |
| Prime Minister | Nikolai Denkov |
| Preceded by | Ivan Kondov |
| European Commissioner for Innovation, Research, Culture, Education and Youth | |
| In office 1 December 2019 – 15 May 2023 On leave: 10 May 2023 – 15 May 2023* | |
| President | Ursula von der Leyen |
| Preceded by | Tibor Navracsics (Education, Culture, Youth and Sport) |
| Succeeded by | Iliana Ivanova |
| European Commissioner for Digital Economy and Society | |
| In office 7 July 2017 – 30 November 2019 | |
| President | Jean-Claude Juncker |
| Preceded by | Günther Oettinger |
| Succeeded by | Margrethe Vestager (Digital Age) |
| Member of the European Parliament for Bulgaria | |
| In office 14 July 2009 – 6 July 2017 | |
| Preceded by | Nikolay Mladenov |
| Succeeded by | Asim Ademov |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 20 May 1979 Hadzhidimovo, Bulgaria |
| Political party | Bulgaria: GERB EU: EPP |
| Spouse |
François Gabriel (m. 2012) |
| Children | 1 |
| Education | Plovdiv University Institute of Political Studies, Bordeaux |
| *Gabriel's portfolio was split by Schinas and Vestager during her leave and vacancy. When Vestager took her own leave during the vacancy, the rest of the portfolio was given to Schinas in the interim. | |
In the European Parliament she served as Vice-President of the European People's Party (EPP) group, Vice-President of EPP Women and head of the Bulgarian EPP delegation. She was first appointed to the European Commission in 2017 as European Commissioner for Digital Economy and Society to fill a spot left vacant by the departure of Kristalina Georgieva. Ms Gabriel left with a mixed record and reputation in Brussels. In particular, she struggled to realize a €415 billion plan to make the EU a global tech hub.
On 22 May 2023, a coalition of GERB and We Continue the Change – Democratic Bulgaria (PP-DB) agreed to form a government with two rotating prime ministers, Nikolai Denkov and Gabriel.