Bulgaria's Mariya Gabriel has been appointed president of the Robert Schuman Institute, the European People's Party (EPP) announced.

Until recently, her name had been linked to a potential role as NATO Deputy Secretary General. However, that position was instead filled by Radmila Sekerinska, former Deputy Prime Minister of North Macedonia.

The Robert Schuman Institute, founded in 1995 by the EPP, is based in Budapest and focuses on fostering democracy in Central and Eastern Europe. The institute provides civic and political training for the party's members and future leaders. Its patron, Robert Schuman, is regarded as a founding father of the European Union due to his 1950 proposal for a coal and steel union between France and West Germany.

From Bulgaria, the Union of Democratic Forces (SDS) is an honorary member of the Robert Schuman Institute.

Mariya Gabriel previously served as Bulgaria's European Commissioner from 2017 to 2023, participating in two European Commissions but not completing a full term in either. From 2023 until April 2024, she held the roles of Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister of Bulgaria. According to a rotation agreement between GERB and WCC-DB, Gabriel was set to become prime minister this spring. However, the political coalition collapsed before the transition could occur.