| Ekaterina Zaharieva | |||||||||
| Native Name Lang: | bg | ||||||||
| Office: | European Commissioner for Startups, Research and Innovation | ||||||||
| Term Start: | 1 December 2024 | ||||||||
| Predecessor: | Iliana Ivanova | ||||||||
| President: | Ursula von der Leyen | ||||||||
| Office1: | Deputy Prime Minister of Bulgaria | ||||||||
| Primeminister1: | Boyko Borisov | ||||||||
| Term Start1: | 4 May 2017 | ||||||||
| Term End1: | 12 May 2021 | ||||||||
| Predecessor1: | Stefan Yanev | ||||||||
| Successor1: | Atanas Pekanov | ||||||||
| Term Start2: | 6 August 2014 | ||||||||
| Term End2: | 7 November 2014 | ||||||||
| Primeminister2: | Georgi Bliznashki | ||||||||
| Predecessor2: | Daniela Bobeva | ||||||||
| Successor2: | Meglena Kuneva | ||||||||
| Term Start3: | 13 March 2013 | ||||||||
| Term End3: | 29 May 2013 | ||||||||
| Primeminister3: | Marin Raykov | ||||||||
| Predecessor3: | Tsvetan Tsvetanov | ||||||||
| Successor3: | Tsvetlin Yovchev | ||||||||
| Office4: | Minister of Foreign Affairs | ||||||||
| Term Start4: | 4 May 2017 | ||||||||
| Term End4: | 12 May 2021 | ||||||||
| Primeminister4: | Boyko Borisov | ||||||||
| Predecessor4: | Radi Naidenov | ||||||||
| Successor4: | Svetlan Stoev | ||||||||
| Office5: | Minister of Justice | ||||||||
| Primeminister5: | Boyko Borisov | ||||||||
| Term Start5: | 18 December 2015 | ||||||||
| Term End5: | 27 January 2017 | ||||||||
| Predecessor5: | Hristo Ivanov | ||||||||
| Successor5: | Mariya Pavlova | ||||||||
| Office6: | Minister of Regional Development and Public Works | ||||||||
| Term Start6: | 6 August 2014 | ||||||||
| Term End6: | 7 November 2014 | ||||||||
| Primeminister6: | Georgi Bliznashki | ||||||||
| Predecessor6: | Desislava Terzieva | ||||||||
| Successor6: | Lilyana Pavlova | ||||||||
| Term Start7: | 13 March 2013 | ||||||||
| Term End7: | 29 May 2013 | ||||||||
| Primeminister7: | Marin Raykov | ||||||||
| Predecessor7: | Lilyana Pavlova | ||||||||
| Successor7: | Desislava Terzieva
| ||||||||
| Birth Name: | Ekaterina Spasova Gecheva | ||||||||
| Birth Date: | 8 August 1975 | ||||||||
| Birth Place: | Pazardzhik, PR Bulgaria | ||||||||
| Party: | GERB | ||||||||
| Otherparty: | European People’s Party | ||||||||
| Education: | Plovdiv University | ||||||||
Ekaterina Spasova Gecheva-Zaharieva (bg|Екатерина Спасова Гечева-Захариева, born 8 August 1975) is a Bulgarian politician serving as European Commissioner for Startups, Research and Innovation. She served as Deputy Prime Minister of Bulgaria from 2017 to 2021 and on two occasions from 2013 to 2014. A member of the GERB party, she also served as Minister of Foreign Affairs from 2017 to 2021, Minister of Justice from 2015 to 2017, Minister of Regional Development on two occasions from 2013 to 2014 and Member of the National Assembly from 2021 to 2024.
Zaharieva was born in Pazardzhik in 1975. She became fluent in German at her local college, then attended the University of Plovdiv where she graduated in law. This was followed by a law master's degree.[1]
She worked as a lawyer until 2003. She then became a legal Advisor of the Ministry of Environment and Water. Zaharieva became the Director of Legal, Administrative and Regulatory Services in 2007.[1]
Entering politics in 2009, she became the Deputy Minister of Regional Development to the Minister Rosen Plevneliev. When Plevneliev became President of Bulgaria, he chose her for the position of one of the Deputy Prime Ministers from March to May in 2013.[2] She was interim deputy Prime Minister to Marin Raykov in the Bulgarian Cabinet.In 2013 she was the Minister of Regional Development. From 18 December 2015 she served as Minister of Justice until 27 January 2017. She became the Foreign Minister of Bulgaria on 4 May 2017.[3]
In August 2024 she was nominated, alongside Julian Popov, by the Bulgarian Government to be the next commissioner in the second von der Leyen Commission. Bulgaria was the only country that have followed Von der Leyen's request to nominate two candidates. Zaharieva was chosen by von der Leyen and proposed as the next Commissioner for Startups, Research and Innovation. On 27 November 2024, the European Parliament elected the College of Commissioners as a whole. The newly appointed Commission is starting its five-year term as from 1 December 2024.
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