Ekaterina Zaharieva

Since 2024, she has served as European Commissioner for Startups, Research, and Innovation. Her mission is to place research and innovation, science, and technology at the heart of the European economy by encouraging investment and cooperation, creating the right conditions for researchers to thrive and develop new skills, and fostering the innovation needed to achieve the EU’s goals of competitiveness, security, and sustainability.

She was a member of the Bulgarian Parliament and served as Deputy Prime Minister for Judicial Reform and Minister of Foreign Affairs (2017–2021), Minister of Justice (2015–2017), Deputy Prime Minister for Economic Policy and Minister of Regional Development and Public Works (2013–2014).