European Commissioner

European Economic and Monetary Affairs Commissioner Pierre Moscovici has turned down a request from former Greek minister Anna Diamantopoulou for Brussels to make public the emergency plan it drafted in the summer of 2015 for the possibility of a Greek exit from the eurozone.

The caretaker government of Bulgaria will not engage in a nomination of a European Commissioner before the election, Prime Minister Ognyan Gerdzhikov has said.

At a briefing, he has made it clear he does not rule out a situation in which his cabinet has to remain in office for a longer time after the vote due on March 26.

Bulgaria ranks second in terms of the utilisation of European funds for small and medium-size enterprises (SMEs), announced in Sofia European Internal Market Commissioner Elżbieta Bieńkowska. She was a guest at the European Forum dedicated to economic growth and entrepreneurship.

At present, the caretaker government will not nominate a candidate for Bulgarian European Commissioner, announced interim PM Ognyan Gerdzhikov.

The issue was discussed with President Rumen Radev.

"For now, we will not nominate a European Commissioner. At a later stage, a European Commissioner might be nominated," said PM Gerdzhikov.

President Rumen Radev and interim PM Ognyan Gerdzhikov will meet on Monday to discuss whether an attempt should be made for the caretaker government to nominate a Bulgarian European Commissioner. This was announced by PM Gerdzhikov on Nova TV.

Gerdzhikov specified that Radev and he have agreed to meet every Monday.

The European Commission's Representation in Bulgaria has denied that European Commissioner for European Neighbourhood Policy & Enlargement Negotiations Johannes Hanh made statements of a negative nature about Bulgaria.

European Commissioner  Economic and Financial Affairs, Taxation and Customs Pierre Moscovici told reporters in Dublin, Ireland Tuesday that the Commission was hoping to reach a final deal on the second review on the Greek bailout program as soon as possible. Mr. Moscovici stressed, however, that completing the agreement would not “obviously occur on Thursday.”

Bulgaria will only nominate its next European Commissioner if a candidate enjoys support from across the political spectrum, outgoing Prime Minister Boyko Borisov has said.

The commissioner should be proposed "either with huge consensus in Parliament on behalf of parliamentary parties or wait for an elected government," Borisov has told reporters.

Arriving at a staff-level deal in order to complete the second review of Greece’s programme prior to the December 5 Eurogroup meeting was crucial, European Commissioner for Economic and Financial Affairs Pierre Moscovici said in Athens on Monday. He stressed that if this was achieved talks on Greece’s debt could commence and efforts to resolve the crisis could bear fruits.

Bulgaria's UN top job candidate Kristalina Georgieva asserted on Monday she would "work to amplify the voice of goodness in our world" if she became the next Secretary General.