The incoming president of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, nominated Bulgaria’s Mariya Gabriel to take charge of research, innovation and education, but has scotched research from the name of the brief for the first time, relabelling it the ‘Innovation and Youth’ portfolio.
Ms Gabriel, currently the commissioner for digital economy and society and a former MEP for Bulgaria’s ruling Citizens for European Development of Bulgaria party, will oversee the €100 billion (£89 billion) Horizon Europe research funding programme, the Erasmus+ student exchange scheme, and efforts to make it easier for students to move between universities across a new European Education Area.
In addition to Horizon Europe, Gabriel’s sprawling portfolio will absorb education duties, currently performed by education commissioner Tibor Navracsics