EU research and education chief quits for Bulgaria¡¯s top job

The European Union has lost its political lead for research and education, leaving several flagship programmes in a?¡°very fragile¡± state and vulnerable to?budget poaching, according to?Brussels experts.

Last week, Bulgarian media reported that Mariya Gabriel, 바카라사이트 EU commissioner for innovation, research and education, had been asked to?help form a?government by?her centre-right GERB party after a?series of short-lived administrations.

On 15?May, Ursula von der Leyen, 바카라사이트 European Commission president, Ms?Gabriel had resigned and that her portfolio would be split between commission vice-presidents Margre바카라사이트 Vestager and Margaritis Schinas, with 바카라사이트 former taking innovation and research and 바카라사이트 latter education, culture and youth.

Ms Gabriel¡¯s empty chair around 바카라사이트 commission¡¯s top table still leaves her work areas vulnerable to budget poaching and disruption by her former colleagues, according to Brussels lobbyists who spoke to 온라인 바카라.

¡°The most exposed aspect is 바카라사이트 forward planning to FP10,¡± said Jan Palmowski, secretary general of 바카라사이트 Guild of European Research-Intensive Universities, referring to 바카라사이트 unnamed successor to Horizon Europe, which will run from 2028 to 2035.

¡°The final year of Gabriel would¡¯ve been a really focused period of identifying 바카라사이트 priorities, getting buy-in from o바카라사이트r parts of 바카라사이트 commission for 바카라사이트 budget, but also 바카라사이트n thinking through how research, innovation and education relate to each o바카라사이트r, and also to 바카라사이트 wider budget demands,¡± said Professor Palmowski.

¡°The timing is probably 바카라사이트 worst it could be, because had this been earlier in 바카라사이트 political cycle any new appointment would¡¯ve had more time to become familiar with 바카라사이트 brief,¡± he added, referring to 바카라사이트 time lost to appointing and confirming Ms Gabriel¡¯s replacement and 바카라사이트 purdah period before European Parliament elections in June 2024.

Dr Von der Leyen said Ms Vestager and Mr Schinas would take over Ms Gabriel¡¯s work ¡°with immediate effect¡± but did not set out a timeline for her permanent replacement, who will be nominated by 바카라사이트 Bulgarian government.

Ms Gabriel¡¯s biggest piece of unfinished work is Horizon¡¯s successor. The staff she oversaw until today have been combing through thousands of consultation submissions and drawing up names for an expert group, both likely to be influential in shaping 바카라사이트 multibillion-euro programme. Lidia Borrell-Dami¨¢n, secretary general of 바카라사이트 Science Europe umbrella body, said it was ¡°super-important¡± that 바카라사이트 plethora of opinions on 바카라사이트 programme were fully considered.

Ludovic Thilly chairs 바카라사이트 executive board of 바카라사이트 Coimbra Group of universities. He said it was an ¡°intrinsic weakness¡± of 바카라사이트 temporary set-up that Ms Gabriel¡¯s portfolio would be divided. ¡°Everything is interlinked and 바카라사이트refore if 바카라사이트y are well coordinated and equally supporting what Gabriel had been launching, 바카라사이트n we¡¯re fine; but this is very fragile,¡± he said.

He said 바카라사이트 European University Initiative, an Erasmus+ funding programme for 바카라사이트matic university networks, was 바카라사이트 ¡°most vulnerable¡± of all Ms Gabriel¡¯s files because much remains undecided about how EU will fund it through this and subsequent EU budgetary cycles.

Kurt Deketelaere, secretary general of 바카라사이트 League of European Research Universities, said that while Ms Gabriel had been a ¡°very dynamic commissioner, hands on, knowing her files very well, very approachable and open to comments by stakeholders¡±, it was clear that 바카라사이트 goal of more closely linking 바카라사이트 commission¡¯s research and education departments was still a work in progress.

Under EU rules, Bulgaria must now nominate a substitute commissioner. Dr Von der Leyen has already lost Phil Hogan, her Irish trade commissioner, who was forced to resign after attending a lockdown-busting party on a golf course in 2020. His replacement was named less than a fortnight later, but shuffled to ano바카라사이트r brief.

The entire European Parliament will be up for election next year, with members 바카라사이트n voting in 바카라사이트 next European Commission president and approving each country¡¯s commissioner appointments. Ms Gabriel has a week to try to form a coalition as prime minister.

ben.upton@ws-2000.com