Bulgaria's Jeleva Bid for 2nd Term as EPP Vice President Flops

Former Bulgarian GERB Foreign Minister, failed EU Commissioner-Designate, and now ex-EPP Deputy Chair, Rumiana Jeleva. Photo by BGNES

The European People's Party has rejected the nomination of former Foreign Minister and failed EU Commissioner-Designate Rumiana Jeleva from Bulgaria's ruling, center-right party GERB for a second term in office as EPP Deputy Chair.

According to unconfirmed reports, the nomination came on the personal insistence of EPP President Wilfried Martens, who meanwhile got reelected for the post, and the EP EPP group Chairman, Joseph Daul. Martens and Daul, allegedely, gave high marks to Jeleva's work in recent years.

The nomination of the Citizens for European Development of Bulgaria party, GERB, however, received Thursday only 266 votes, ranking her 12th from a total of 13 candidates for the 10-member EPP leadership.

Antonio Lopez Isturiz was reelected EPP Secretary General.

Jeleva was appointed EPP Vice President in December 2009, just one month before the failed EC hearing.

In January 2010, Jeleva's confirmation hearing as Bulgaria's nominee for European Commissioner for International Cooperation, Humanitarian Aid, and Crisis Response fell through as she failed to answer questions regarding allegations of her financial interests and demonstrated insufficient competence in the areas she was to oversee.

GERB was expected to nominate one of its MEPs for EPP Vice President, the top contenders being Andrey Kovachev and Maria Gabriel.

After it emerged that Bulgaria's center-right ruling party had submitted Jeleva's nomination with the EPP Group Secretariat, Kovachev and Gabriel refused to comment.

The EPP also refused feedback, saying that the procedure was confidential.

The 21st EPP congress is held in Bucharest on October 17-18.

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