Yesterday I interviewed the candidates put forward by the Bulgarian government for the post of Commissioner, Mr Daniel Lorer and Ms Iliana Ivanova.
Both candidates showed great commitment to the European Union and to the job of Commissioner. They also have relevant experience for this post.
Following these interviews, I have decided to propose to the Council and the European Parliament the appointment of Ms Ivanova to the post of Commissioner.
She will be in charge of Innovation, Research, Culture, Education and Youth.
Ms Ivanova has significant experience on EU matters, having been a member of the European Court of Auditors since 2013. Prior to that, she was a member of the European Parliament, between 2009 and 2012, and a vice chair of the Committee on budgetary control.
Her experience is crucial in carrying forward the implementation of the EU's flagship research programme, Horizon Europe, to enhance the performance of EU's research spending and achieve a better impact on the ground.
I thank Mr Lorer for his application and I wish him well in his future endeavours.
