In Bulgaria, the Minister of Foreign Affairs will also be the Prime Minister

On Monday, the President handed over powers to the Prime Minister-designate Marija Gabriel. The former European Commissioner M. Gabriel previously also worked as Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs.

The center-right party GERB, which won the elections held in April last year, and the reformist coalition led by the party Tėsieme permainas (PP), which came in second place, agreed that each of them would hold the post of prime minister for nine months at a time.

Earlier this month, PP representative Prime Minister Nikolajus Denkovs resigned after nine months of work.

After last year’s election, the two parties agreed to share power to end the past two and a half years of political crisis, restore stability and boost economic development.

M. Gabriel said that she accepted the mandate with a sense of responsibility, because Bulgaria needs stability.

Two duties

The newly appointed prime minister will continue to serve as foreign minister, which analysts say is a guarantee that Bulgaria will continue on a pro-Western path.

In the coming week, she will have to form a new cabinet of ministers, which will have to be approved by the majority of parliamentarians.

After last year’s elections, GERB won 69 seats in the 240-seat parliament, compared to 63 for the reformist bloc.

43-year-old Ms. Gabriel, who has worked in the EP since 2009, held the position of European Commissioner responsible for innovation. She was also the first vice-president of the European People’s Party (EPP).