Bulgaria 'to Seek Important EC Portfolio" - PM Oresharski

Bulgaria will stand for a more important portfolio in the new European Commission, Prime Minister Plamen Oresharski announced.

The country should not therefore be in a rush to pick up its candidate for the office of EU Commissioner, Oresharski said on Friday, adding that the country should carefully follow the Europea debate on the next EU Commission President to see what chances does Bulgaria stand to receive a bigger role in the Commission.

While answering "Why not?" when asked whether Bulgaria could get the Energy portfolio, he warned that one needed a more realist approach, as Bulgaria's influence in the EU was not "that big", as Mediapool reports.

The ruling Bulgarian Socialist Party (BSP) hinted well before the European elections it might raise the nomination of either Justice Minister Zinaida Zlatanova or Foreign Minister Kristian Vigenin as EU Commissioners.

Local media has also spread rumors among politicians that the BSP's leader himself, Sergey Stanishev, might seek to be appointed EU Enlargement Commissioner.

Stanishev has maintained that it will be up to the socialist-led government to choose the next EU Commissioner. European election results, however, which showed a very low performance of the BSP, might trigger calls against such decision from election winner GERB.