Bulgarian European Commissioner Iliana Ivanova announced today on her Facebook profile that she will be leaving the European Commission due to personal reasons. Her departure means she will step down from the EU executive body after just one year in office.

Ivanova, who took over the portfolio for "innovations, research, culture, education, and youth" from Mariya Gabriel, noted that her resignation comes after Gabriel's planned transition to the Bulgarian prime minister's role did not materialize. Despite her brief tenure, Ivanova expressed pride in the accomplishments achieved by her team and confidence that Bulgaria will continue to be well-represented in European policymaking.

As of now, Bulgaria, Italy, and Belgium are the only EU member states that have not yet officially nominated their candidates for European Commissioner. The deadline for these nominations is tomorrow, with each country required to submit both a male and a female candidate. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen will conduct interviews with the candidates and is expected to announce her new team on September 11 or 12.

Following the announcement, the candidates will undergo hearings by the relevant committees in the European Parliament. If the hearings are successful, the full Commission must receive approval from the MEPs before taking office by the end of October.