Who Is Who: Bulgaria's New Vice President Margarita Popova

Former Justice Minister Margarita Popova was nominated by the ruling centrist-right party GERB to run for Vice President of Bulgaria in the elections that took place on October 23 2011.

In the runoff that took place on October 30, GERB runner Rosen Plevneliev and his running mate, Margarita Popova, defeated oppositional Bulgarian Socialist Party runner Ivaylo Kalfin and his running mate, Stefan Danailov, gathering 52.58% of the votes.

Biography

Margarita Popova was born in Sofia in 1956. She earned a degree in law and Bulgarian language from Sofia University "St. Kliment Ohridski".

Popova began working as a prosecutor in 1990 as a junior prosecutor in the town of Pirdop. In 1991, she became the regional prosecutor of Svoge.

In 1996-2004, she was the head of the Sofia District Prosecutor's Office.

In 2004, she was removed by the former Chief Prosecutor, Nikola Filchev, and went on to become a professor at the National Justice Institute teaching young prosecutors.

In September 2006, the new Chief Prosecutor, Boris Velchev, appointed Popova as his spokesperson. She held the status of a member of the Sofia District Prosecutor's Office delegated to the Supreme Prosecutor's Office of Cassation.

In September 2008, Popova was put in charge of the newly-created special unit for investigating frauds with EU funds at the Supreme Prosecutor's Office of Cassation.

In July 2009, she was appointed Minister of Justice in the government of Prime Minister Boyko Borisov and the GERB party.

In 2010-2011, Popova has received some praise from EU officials for her work on reforming the Bulgarian judiciary. She is also seen as an intra-government opponent to Interior Minister Tsvetan Tsvetanov, who is known for blaming the Bulgarian judiciary for problems with the rule of law in the country.

On September 4, 2011, Popova was nominated as the candidate for Vice President of the Republic of Bulgaria of the ruling center-right party GERB to run with her running mate Rosen Plevneliev in the October 23, 2011, presidential elections.

Public Service Record

1990-1991 – Junior Prosecutor in Pirdop

1991-1995 – Regional Prosecutor of Svoge

1996-2004 – Head of the Sofia District Prosecutor's Office

2006-2009 – Spokesperson of Chief Prosecutor Boris Velchev and Bulgaria's Supreme Prosecutor's Office of Cassation

2008-2009 – Head of the Supreme Prosecutor's Office of Cassation unit for investigating EU funds fraud.

2009-2011 – Minister of Justice

Electoral Record

Margarita Popova had never ran for elected office before.

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