Sat, Feb 11 2012

Foreign Minister Roumyana Zheleva is Bulgaria's EU commissioner nominee on energy

Tue, Oct 06 2009 15:13 CET

byThe Sofia Echo staff

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Foreign Minister Roumyana Zheleva is Bulgaria's EU commissioner nominee on energy

Roumyana Zheleva

Photo: Nadezhda Chipeva

Foreign Minister Roumyana Zheleva will be Bulgaria's nominee for European Union energy commissioner, Prime Minister Boiko Borissov said on October 6 2009, according to Bulgaria's Focus News Agency.

Zheleva's choice was hardly a surprise since Borissov previously hinted that his nominee would be a woman.

To boost Zheleva's chances of winning the energy portfolio Borissov will hold talks with French president Nicolas Sarkozy and Italian prime minister Silvio Berlusconi.

Speculation about Zheleva started when Borissov's party won the national elections on July 5 2009. Her appointment as Foreign Minister was interpreted as just a step towards her nomination as Bulgaria's representative in the European Commission.

Several days after he took office Borissov made it clear that he would not support Bulgaria's current EU commissioner Meglena Kouneva who has the portfolio of consumer protection, for a second term in office.

If Zheleva is approved for the post, Bulgaria will have a new foreign minister.

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