Worldwide Guide to Women in
Leadership
Female Ministers of the
Bulgaria/Republika Bulgarya/Balgarija (Female
Suffrage for Married women 1937, others 1944) 1878 principality under
Osman sovereignty, 1908 Independent Kingdom, 1946-89 Socialist Republic,
Republic from 1989, joined the EU 2007
See also Bulgaria Parliament and Bulgaria Heads
1947-57 Minister of Post, Telegraphs and Telephones Tsola Nicheva Dragoycheva
Also known as Dragoicheva,
she was
member of the illegal armed wing of the party in the 1920s,
she spent years in prison and as an émigré in the Soviet Union, Organisatorial Secretary
of The Communist Party 1940, Member of the Politburo 1941-90, Secretary General of the Fatherlands Front
1944-48, Member of the National Assembly 1945-90, Member of Council the of State 1974-84. She lived (1894-1993).
1954-59 Deputy Minister of Finance
Vera Lukanova
1959-... Member of the Council of Ministers and President of Bulgarian National
Bank
1954-57 Deputy Minister of Light Industry Stanka Tsekova
1957-59 Minister of Light Industry
1954-... Deputy Minister of Education Maria Kossovska
1961-82 Member of the Politburo Nadya Zenuka Vasileva Zhikova
1962-78 Deputy Minister of
Health Sibila Teneva Radeva
(1911-)
1963-66 Minister, Chairperson of the Commission for Light Industry Dora Pavlova
1963-70 Deputy Minister of Education Bistra Auramova
1964-67 Deputy Minister of Internal Trade Mariya Simenova Zakharieva
1967-71 1. Deputy Minister of Internal Trade
1971-89 Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs
1966-90 Minister of Justice Svetla Daskolova
Secretary of the Parliamentary Group of the Bulgarian Agrar Union 1958,
Deputy President of Narodno Subranie (National Assembly) 1962.(b. 1921-)
1968-72 Minister of Light Industry Dora Belcheva
Ambassador to Sweden 1972-77.
1968 Deputy Minister of Education Ani Sponcheva
1971-79 Deputy Minister of Agriculture Ekaterina Yakoba Marinova
1974-84 Deputy Minister with Rank of Minister
1982-84 Deputy Minister of Internal Trade and Public Service
1984-86 Deputy Minister of Production and Trade with Consumer Goods
1990 Minister of Trade and Service
Consul-General to Leningrad/Saint Petersburg 1986-90.(b. 1936- )
1975-81 Minister of Culture Lyudmilla Zhivkova
1979-81 Member of the Politburo.
Acted as first Lady of the country 1971-81 after the death of her mother. Her father, Todor Zhivkov, had designated her to
succeed him as Chief
of State and Party, but she committed suicide. She lived (1944-81)
1977-81 Minister of Education Drazha Deleva Vulcheva
First Secretary of the Communist Party of Ploch 1974-77 and 1974-81
Candidate Member of the Politburo, 1981(-89) Deputy President of Narodno
Subranie. (b. 1939-)
1977-80 Deputy Minister of Light Industry Lilyana Ivaniva Vasileva
1980-82 1. Deputy Minister Light Industry
First Deputy Mayor of Sofia in charge of Health 1983-86. (b. 1936-
)
1979-86 1. Deputy Minister of Education with Rank of Minister
1986-89 Deputy Chairperson of the Council of Social Affairs in the Council
of Ministers Panka S. Babukova
1980-? Member of the Politburo Evdokia Zhivkova
1989-90 Deputy Premier Nadya Asparkhova
1990-91 Deputy Premier Prof. Nora Krachunova Aanieva
Deputy Chairperson of the City Council of Sofia 1967-71, afterwards director
of International Affairs of the University of Sofia, since 1991 Parliamentary
Leader of the Socialists, 1995-97 Deputy President of the National Assembly.
(b. 1938-)
1990-91 and
2005-09 Minister of Labour and Social Affairs Emiliya Radkova Maslarova
Her name is also transcribed as
1990-91 and 1995-97 Deputy Minister of Labour and Social Affairs Evgenia Spassova Popova (1943-)
1991-92 Minister of Culture Eleka Georgieva Konstantinova
Leader of Radikalna Demokraticheske Partiya 1990-(96).
1991-93 Government Spokesperson Nadezhda Nikolova Mikhailova
1997-2001 Minister of Foreign Affairs
Nadezhda Neynsky was Chief of Liberal Party Foreign Affairs Department 1990-91, 1995-2002 Deputy Chairperson of Union of Democratic
Forces, Parliamentary Leader 2001-05 and Party Leader 2002-06, MEP 2009-14 and
appointed Ambassador to Turkey in 2015. (b. 1962-)
1992-97 Chief of Staff of the President Yulia Gourkovska
1993-94 Secretary for Parliamentary Affairs by the Premier Minister Maria Pigova
1993-94 Deputy Minister of Culture Maria Roussinova
1993-94 Deputy Minister of Secondary Education Zhoulieta Sarova
1993-94 Deputy Minister and Chief Secretary of Health Zlatitza Petrova
1993-94 Deputy Minister of Labour and Social Welfare Mariana Manolova
1994-95 Premier Minister
Reneta Ivanova Indzhova (17.10.94-26.1.95)
Mayoral candidate in Sofia 1995, Presidential Candidate 2001
and the same year she became Chairperson of the Democratic Alliance. Also known
as Indsjovka
or
Injova. (b. 1953-).
1994-95 Deputy Premier, Minister of Economy and Finance Hristina Vucheva
1995-97 Minister of Health Mimi Mikova Vitkova-Petkova
1995-97 Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs for European Integration
Irena Georgieva Bokova
1996-97 1. Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs
1996-97 Acting Minister of Foreign Affairs (November-February)
1997-2002 Advisor of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Diplomat
and specialist in UN questions from 1977, Vice-Presidential candidate in 1996,.
It was rumoured that
she would included as Foreign Minister in the opposed cabinet line-up, which in
the end was turned down by the National Assembly in 2005. Ambassador to France
2005-09, Director General of UNESCO from 2009 and Candidate for UN Secretary
General in 2016. (b. 1952-).
1995-97 Deputy Minister of Justice Rada Mladenova Yosisova
1995-97 Deputy Minister of Industry Vera Hristova
1995-97 Deputy Minister of Public Transportation Svetlana Borislavova Toshkova
1995-97 Deputy Minister of Health Care Tanya Vasileva Cholakova
1996-97 Deputy Minister of Education, Science and Technologies Mariya Antova
1995-97
Parliamentary Secretary in a Ministry Loreta Metodieva Nikolova
From 1997 Vice-Chairperson of the Socialist Party.
1996-97 Deputy Minister of Energy and Energy Resources Ivanka Georgieva
Dilovska
(b. 1950-)
1996-97 Government Spokesperson Mila Manova
She was Deputy Spokesperson 1995-96.
1997 Minister of Trade and Foreign Economic Co-operation Daniela Nikolova
Bobeva
2013-14 Deputy Prime Minister responsible
for Coordinating the Economic Policies.
Held a number of positions as manager of various public and
semi-public banks. (b. 1958-)
Since 1998 Vice-President of the Black Sea Development Bank. (b. 1958-)
1997 Deputy Minister of Education,
Science and Technologies Jekatarina
Draganova
Vice-Chancellor of University of Sofia from 1997.
1997 Deputy Minister of Environment and Waters Evdokiya Ivanova Maneva
1997-2001 Minister of Environment and Waters
From 1963 civil servant in various ministries 1991-97 Head of Economic
and Planning Division in the Ministry of Environment. (b. 1945- )
1997-2001 Deputy Minister of Agriculture Valia Savtcheva
1997-2001 Minister of Culture Emma Zaharieva Moskova
(b. 1934-)
1997-99 Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs
Responsible for
the Relations with the European Union Antonieta Primatorova
Her name is also transcribed as Antonaneta Pramatarova or Antoinette
Primatarova, she was Ambassador to Sweden, Norway and Iceland 1993-97 and 1999-2001
to EU and Deputy Head of the admission negotiations.
1997-2001 Deputy Minister of Education, Technology and Science Anna-Mara Totomanova
1997-99 Deputy Minister of Trade and Tourism Mariana Atanasova Asenova
2000-01 Deputy Minister of Economy
for Tourism
1997-2000 Deputy
Minister of Industry Edit Petrova Getova
1997-99 Deputy
Minister of Justice and Legal Euro-integration Zlatka Rousseva
1999-2001 Deputy Minister of Regional Integration
1997-99 Deputy Minister of Transportation Katya Hristova Georgieva
Ministry merged into Ministry of Communication and Transport
1997-99 Deputy Minister and Chief Secretary of Culture Velichka Filipova
1997-2001 Deputy Minister of Environment and Waters Mariana Ivanova Lukova
1997-99 Deputy Minister of Health Nadzheda Geneva
1997-2001 Deputy Minister of Justice and Legal Euro-Integration Maria Serkedjieva
Ministry re-named to Ministry of Justice in 1999
1997-2001 Parliamentary Secretary in a Ministry Victoria Dimitrova Vasileva
1998-2001 Deputy Minister of Labour and Social Policy Mira Ivanova Radkova
1999-2001
Parliamentary secretary in the Ministry of Education and Science Keti Kostadinova
Gramatikova
1999-2001 Deputy Minister of Economy
Lyubov Lyubenova Panayotova
1999-2001 Deputy Minister of Culture Raina Gavrilova
2000-01 Deputy Minister of Industry
Yuliana Nikolova
Vice-Presidential Candidate in 2006.
2001-05 Deputy Prime Minister Lidia
Santova Shouleva
2001-03 Minister of Labour and Social Policy
2003-05 Minister of Economy
2001-05 Minister of the Environment and Waters Dolores Borissova Arsenova
2001-02
Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and Chief EU-Negotiator Meglena Stilyanova Kuneva-Prumova
2002-06 Minister of European Affairs
2007-11 European Commissioner for Consumer Protection
2014-17 Deputy Prime
Minister for EU Policies and Institutional Affairs
Normally known as Meglena Kuneva, her patronymic surname is also trancribed
Shtilianova. In the 3-party coalition of Socialists, Ethnic Turkish party, she was the only
woman of the 5 members from the Simoen II National Movement. Presidential
Candidate in 2011 and Chairperson of the Bulgaria for Citizen
Party from 2011 and later Co-Leader of the Reform Block (b. 1957-)
2001-09 Deputy Minister of
Defence Sonya Atanassova
Iankuklova
Her surname can be transcribed as Atanasova Yankulova,
she was judge until her appointment (b. 1958-)
2001-02 Deputy Minister of Economy Lyubka Vassileva Kachakova
2005-09
Deputy Minister of Environment
(b. 1970-)
2001-05 Deputy Minister of Economy Sophia Petrova Kassidova
Or Sofia Kassizova.
(b. 1969-)
2001-05 Deputy Minister of
Transport and Communications Zlatolina Ivanova Mukova
(b. 1965-)
2001-05 Deputy Minister of Transport and Communications Krasimira Radkova Martinova
(b. 1955-)
2001-03 Deputy Minister of
Labour and Social Policy Christina Christova Velcheva
2003-05 Minister of Labour and Social Policy
Deputy Chairperson of the
Parliamentary Group
of National Movement for Stability and
Progress (Formerly Simeon II Movement) from 2007.
(b. 1954-)
2001-05 Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Forestry Meglena Ivanova
Plugchieva-Aleksandrova
2008-09 Deputy Prime Minister charged with the Management of the European Union
Funds
Socialist MP 1995-2004, 1997-2004 Bulgarian Representative in
Rheinland-Pfalz, Ambassador to Germany 2004-08. Vice-Presidential Candidate in
2011. (b. 1956-).
2001-03 Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Forestry Adriana Nikolova
Sukova-Tosheva
2001-03 Parliamentary Secretary
of Economy Maria Yordanova Divizieva
2003-05 Parliamentary Secretary of
Transport
2005-09 Deputy Minister of Administration
Chief of Staff of the Prime
Minister from 2013.
2001-03 Parliamentary Secretary of Energy and Energy Resources Bilyana Dimitrova Raichinova'
2002-05 and 2014-17 Deputy Minister of
Foreign Affairs Katya Todorova
She is a career diplomat.
2002-05 Deputy Minister of Labour and Social Policy Krasimira Radkova Martinova
2002-05 Deputy Minister of Justice Meglena Yanakieva Tacheva
2007-09 Minister of Justice
2002-05 Deputy Minister of Environment and Water
Manoela Yordanova Georgieva
2003-05 Minister without Portfolio Filiz Hakaeva Husmenova
Deputy Mayor of Silistra 1999-2001 and Deputy Regional Governor of
Silistra until she became member of the government. (b. 1966-).
2003-05 Deputy Minister of Regional
Development and Public Works Petya Ilieva Geogova
(b. 1971-)
2003-05 Parliamentary Secretary of Health Natalia Efremova
2003-05 Parliamentary Secretary of Energy and Energy Resources Denitsa Torova
2004-07 Deputy Foreign Minister and
Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Gergana Grancharova
2007-09
Minister of
European Affairs
2006-07 Acting
Minister of European Integration Zina Veleva
Head of the Department of European Integration and Relations with International
Financial Institutions with the Council of Ministers
2005 Minister of Culture and Tourism Nina
Chilova
MP from party Simeon II National Movement. (b. 1972-).
2005-07 Deputy Minister of Culture Ina Kileva
2005-09 Deputy Prime Minister and
Minister without portfolio Natural Disaster Management Emel Etem
Secretary for the Parliamentary Group of the Alliance for National Salvation
1997-2001 and later Deputy Chairperson of the ethnic Turkish party, The
Movement for Rights and Freedoms. The two other Ministers of the party in the
3-party government were men. (b. 1958-)
2005 Designate Minister of Sports Vessela Lecheva
Socialist MP from 2001 and former European World shooting champion. She was
designated by Socialist Leader, Sergey Stanishev, who was elected Prime Minister on 27.07 by a slim 120/119
majority. But afterwards the lawmakers turned down the Cabinet. In the second
line-up there was no Ministry of Sport but she became Chief of the Sports Agency. (b. 1964-)
2005-09 Deputy
Minister of Transport Daniela Nikiforova
In the
coalition of Socialists, Simeon II Movement and the
Movement for Rights and Freedom, there are a
total of 71
Deputy Ministers.
2005-09 Deputy Minister of Transport Vessela Gospodinova
2005-09 Deputy Minister of Social Affairs Ivanka Hristova
2005-09 Deputy Minister of Regional Development Milena Paunova
2005-09 Deputy Minister of Regional Development Iskra Mihaylova-Koparova
2005-09 Deputy Foreign Minister Evgenia Koldanova
2005-07 Deputy Minister of Justice Ana Karaivanova-Davidova
2005-09 Deputy Minister of Justice Sabrie Sapundzhieva
2005-09 Deputy
Minister of Agriculture and Forestry
Svetla
Bachvarova
2005-09 Deputy Minister of Economy and Energy Ivanka Dilovska
2005-09 Deputy Minister of Economy and Energy Kornelia Ninova
Korneliya
Petrova Ninova became Chair of the Socialist Party in 2016. In December, the
President of the Republic, gave her the mandate to form a government but she
immediately returned the mandate. (b. 1967-)
2005-09 Deputy Minister of Economy and Energy Nina Radeva
2005-09 Deputy Minister of Environment Lyubka Kachakova
2005-09 Deputy Minister of Culture Nedzhda Zaharieva
2005-09 Deputy Minister of Education Vanya Dobreva
2006-07 Acting Minister of European Integration Zina
Veleva
Head of the Department of European Integration and Relations with
International Financial Institutions with the Council of Ministers.
2009-10 Minister of Foreign
Affairs Rumiana Ruseva Jeleva
2009-10 Designate EU-Commissioner for
International Cooperation, Humanitarian Aid and Crisis Response
Member of
the European Parliament 2007-09. Under hard attack for her financial operations
during the Hearings in the European Parliament, she resigned as candidate and handed in her
resignation as Foreign Minister. (b. 1969-).
2009-11 Minister of Justice
Margarita Popova
2012-
Vice-President
Former Prosecutor and Law Professor. Will take office
as Vice-President in January 2012. (b. 1956-)
2009 Minister of Education, Youth and Science Yordanka Fandakova
Deputy Mayor in Charge of Education in Sofia 2005-09 and
Mayor of Sofia 2009-11 and from 2011. (b.
1964-).
2009-13 Minister of Environment Nona Karadzhova
Dessislava Taneva withdrew her nomination as Minister of Agriculture just
before the government was sworn in, but she was appointed in 2014.
2009-11 Deputy Minister of Regional Development Lilyana
Pavlova
2011-13 Minister of Minister of Regional
Development and Public Works
2014-17 Minister of Regional
Development and Public Works
2009-10 Deputy Minister of Finance Ana Vladislavova Mihailova
2009-13 Deputy Minister of Justice Zhaneta Petrova
2009-13 Deputy Minister of Justice Daniela Masheva
2009-13 Deputy Minister of Environment and Water Evdokia Maneva
2009-13 Deputy Minister of Environment and Water Ivelina Vassileva
2009-10 Deputy Minister of Education, Youth and Science Milka Kodjabasheva
2009-10 Deputy Minister of Education, Youth and Science Svetlana Lomeva
2009-13 Deputy Minister of Labour and Social Policy Valentina
Simeonova
2009-13 Parliamentary Secretary of Labour and Social Policy
Petya Doganova
2010 Minister of Health Anna-Maria Borissova
2010-13 Deputy Minister of Finance Boryana Pencheva
2010-13 Deputy Minister of Education, Youth and Science Milena Damyanova
2010-12 Deputy Minister of Health Gergana Pavlova
2010-13 Deputy Minister of Health Desislava Dimitrova
2011-13 Minister of Justice Diana Kovacheva
2012-13 Minister of Health Desislava Atanasova
2010-13 Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Food Svetlana Boyanova
2010-13 1. Deputy Minister of Education Yordanka Fandakova
2010-13 Deputy Minister of
Education Milena Damyanova
2011-12 Deputy Minister of
Regional Development Ekaterina Spasova Gecheva-Zakharieva
2013 Deputy Prime Minister and
Minister of Regional Development
2014 Deputy Prime Minister in charge
of Economic Policy, Minister of Regional Development and Minister of Investment
Planning
2015- Minister of Justice
Ekatarina Zaharieva
was Secretary General of the Presidency 2012-13.
(b. 1976-)
2011-12 Deputy Minster of Social Policy and Labour Deyana
Kostadinova
2013
Deputy Prime Minister for Social Policy and Labour
Presidential Advisor 2012-13
2012-13 Deputy Minister of Social Policy and Labour Zornitsa
Rusinova
2016-17 Minister of Labour and Social Policy
2012-13 Deputy Minister of Regional Development Nikolina Angelkova
2014
Minister of Transport, Information Technologies and Communications
2014-17
Minister of Tourism
Economist
and infrastructure expert. (b. 1979-)
2012-13 and 2014-17 Deputy Minister of Finance, Karina Karaivanova
2013 and 2014 Deputy Prime Minister in charge of EU Funds and Bulgarians
Abroad Iliyana
Tsanova
Worked with the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development
2003-13. (b. 1976-)
2013 Minister of Interior Petya Parpanova
A police general and former high ranking civil servant in the
ministry
2013 Deputy Minister of Environment
Malina Krumova
2017- Interim Deputy Prime Minister
responsible for EU Funds
2013-14
Deputy Minister of Labor and Social Policy Vanya Stoyneva
2013-14 Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Justice and EU
funds absorption Zinaida Zlatanova
Head of the European Commission Representation in Bulgaria 2008-13.
2013-14 Minister of Education Aneliya Klisarova
2013-14 Minister of
Health Tanya Andreeva
2013-14 Minister of Youth and Sports Mariana
Georgieva
2013-14 Minister of Environment Iskra Mihaylova
2013-14 Minister of Regional
Development Desislava Terzieva
2013-14 Deputy Minister of Finance Lyudmila Petkova
2013-14 Deputy Minister of Economy Irena Mladenova
2013-14 Deputy Minister of Economy Violeta Lorer
2013-14 Deputy Minister of Economy and Energy Anna Yaneva
2013-14
Deputy Minister of Labor and Social Affairs Svetlana Dyankova
2013-14
Deputy Minister of Labor and Social Affairs Rositsa Yankova
2013-14 Deputy
Education Minister Mukaddes Nalbant
2013-14 Deputy Minister of Education and Science Atanaska Teneva
2013-14 Deputy Culture Minister Velislava Krasteva
2013-14 and 2017 Deputy Minister of Youth and Sports Maya Todorova
2012-13 Deputy Minister of Environment and Waters Ivelina Vasileva
2014-17
Minister of Environment and Waters
2013-14 Deputy Minister of Health
Lidiya Neycheva
2014-17 Deputy Minister of Defence Desislava Yosifova
2014-17 Deputy Minister of Education Vanya Kastreva
2014 Deputy Minister of Finance Violeta Petkova
2014 Deputy Minister
of Regional Development Yordanka Chobanova
2014-17 Deputy Prime Minister for Coalition Policy
and State Administration Rumyana Bachvarova
2015-17 Minister of Interior
2014-17 Minister of Agriculture and Foods Desislava Taneva
2014-17
Minister of Energy Temenuzhka Petkova
2014-17 Deputy Minister of Regional Development and Public Works Denitsa Nikolova
2014-17 Deputy Minister of Economy Daniela Vezieva
2014-17 Deputy Minister for the Environment and Water Atanaska Nikolova
2014-17 Deputy
Minister of Culture Boni Petrunova
2014-17 Deputy Minister for Justice Verginia Micheva-Ruseva
2016-17 Deputy Minister for Finance Marinela Petrova
2016-17 Deputy Minister
for Justice Krassimira Philipova
2016-17 Deputy Minister for Justice Petia
Tyankova
2016-17 Deputy Minister for Tourism Irena Georgieva
2017-
Interim Deputy Prime Minister responsible for the preparation of Bulgaria’s
Presidency of the Council of the European Union Denitsa Zlateva
2017-
Interim Deputy Prime Minister responsible for EU Funds Malina Krumova
2017- Interim Minister of Environment Irina Kostova
2017- Interim
Minister of Justice Maria Pavlova
2017- Interim Minister of Tourism Stela
Baltova
2017- Interim Minister of Youth and Sports Daniela Dasheva
2017- Interim
Deputy Minister of Culture Boryana Hristova
2017- Interim Deputy Minister
of Interior Marinela Beleva
Last update 07.03.17