Bulgaria in Unprecedented Situation after Georgieva's EU Commission Departure

Since January 01, Bulgaria has not been represented by its own Commissioner in the European Union's executive body, becoming the first member state with offering no successor to a departing commissioner.

Kristalina Georgieva, who was the Commission's Vice President for Budget and Human Resources, left the office as of January 01 to take over a CEO job at the World Bank Group.

The nomination of Georgieva's successor has been in limbo as the cabinet refused to name a candidate after resigning in mid-November.

Outgoing Prime Minister Boyko Borisov had insisted the responsibility should lie with an interim government, but President Rosen Plevneliev declined to appoint a caretaker administration just a month before leaving office on January 22.

EU Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker earlier urged calm, saying there was "no rush" to propose a successor.

Daily newspaper 24 Chasa quotes Commissions sources as saying the delay means a new portfolio may have to be created for the next Bulgarian official joining the executive body.

One option was for the Bulgarian to take over the digital economy portfolio, which until the end of December was left vacant as Juncker was waiting for a nomination.

The other was negotiating a reshuffle of portolios, with Sofia eyeing regional development or environment (now held by commissioners from Romania and Malta), but talks were suspended after the government stepped down.