Tomislav Donchev – Deputy Prime Minister for Absorption of EU Funds and Economic Policy (GERB)

Donchev, who was elected as an MEP from the GERB quota in May, was born on August 6, 1973.

He has master's degrees in business administration and philosophy from the Veliko Turnovo University; Fluent in English and Russian.

He was an MP in the 42-d National Assembly; member of Regional Policies and Local Governance Committee and European Matters and Funds Control Committee and a Minister of EU Funds Management, (2010-2013).

In the period 2007 - 2010 he was mayor of Garbovo.

In 1997-1999, Donchev was a high school teacher in Veliko Turnovo. In 2000-2004, he was the secretary of the Open Society Club in Gabrovo, and in 2001-2004, he was the director of "Hi-tech business incubator" - Gabrovo.

In 2004-2007, he was a member of the Expert Analyses team of the Open Society Institute in Bulgaria, and a member of a working group of the Finance Ministry which drafted the rules for absorption of EU funds in Bulgaria.

Donchev has also worked as a consultant and lecturer on project management and control; he has served as a program director in the Open Society Institute in Sofia managing the unit on EU funded projects.