A select group of European Parliament lawmakers will on Tuesday quiz Iliana Ivanova, Bulgaria’s designated commissioner for innovation, research, culture, education and youth, to assess whether she’s capable of taking over the portfolio from Mariya Gabriel, who resigned in May to become the country’s deputy prime minister and foreign minister.
It’s the first of more such hearings, as more members of Commission President Ursula von der Leyen’s team jump ship as the end of the mandate looms.
Ahead of her hearing, Ivanova made the pitch that the EU should team up with its non-member allies, such as the United Kingdom and Switzerland, on research and innovation in order to win the ongoing race to control new technologies. To do so, the EU could leverage the power of its flagship R&D program Horizon Europe, which lawmakers claim is underfunded — as it’s often raided to meet new requirements.