Mariya Ivanova Gabriel

Mariya Ivanova Gabriel is a Bulgarian politician and a member of the GERB party serving as European Commissioner for Innovation, Research, Culture, Education and Youth since 2019. She was previously a Member of the European Parliament (MEP) from 2009 to 2017.

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.

On 10 May 2017 Jean-Claude Juncker, President of the European Commission, announced that Bulgarian Prime Minister Boyko Borisov had nominated Mariya Gabriel to replace Kristalina Georgieva as Commissioner.

In 2019, Ursula von der Leyen nominated Gabriel to be European Commissioner for Innovation, Culture and Youth. Gabriel testifies before the European Parliament in 2019.