Ekaterina Zaharieva

Ekaterina Spasova Gecheva-Zaharieva (, born 8 August 1975) is a Bulgarian politician serving as European Commissioner for Startups, Research and Innovation. She served as Deputy Prime Minister of Bulgaria from 2017 to 2021 and on two occasions from 2013 to 2014. A member of the GERB party, she also served as Minister of Foreign Affairs from 2017 to 2021, Minister of Justice from 2015 to 2017, Minister of Regional Development on two occasions from 2013 to 2014 and Member of the National Assembly from 2021 to 2024.

Early life and education Zaharieva was born in Pazardzhik in 1975. She became fluent in German at her local college, then attended the University of Plovdiv where she graduated in law. This was followed by a law master's degree.

Career Zaharieva meets with U.S. Secretary of State Michael R. Pompeo at the U.S. Department of State in Washington, D.C., on November 5, 2018. She worked as a lawyer until 2003. She then became a legal Advisor of the Ministry of Environment and Water. Zaharieva became the Director of Legal, Administrative and Regulatory Services in 2007. She was interim deputy Prime Minister to Marin Raykov in the Bulgarian Cabinet.

In 2013 she was the Minister of Regional Development. From 18 December 2015 she served as Minister of Justice until 27 January 2017. She became the Foreign Minister of Bulgaria on 4 May 2017.

In August 2024 she was nominated, alongside Julian Popov, by the Bulgarian Government to be the next commissioner in the second von der Leyen Commission. Bulgaria was the only country to have followed Von der Leyen's request to nominate two candidates. Zaharieva was chosen by von der Leyen and proposed as the next Commissioner for Startups, Research and Innovation. On 27 November 2024, the European Parliament elected the College of Commissioners as a whole. The newly appointed Commission is starting its five-year term as from 1 December 2024.