Maria Gabriel, right, the prime minister-designate under a power-sharing deal by the two main political parties, is seen next to the former PM Nikolay Denkov of the reformist coalition led by "We Continue the Change," before obtaining the mandate to form a new government at the Bulgarian Presidency in Sofia, Monday, March 18, 2024. (AP Photo/Valentina Petrova)
FILE - European Innovation Commissioner Mariya Gabriel speaks during a media conference at EU headquarters in Brussels, on Feb. 9, 2022. Bulgarian President Rumen Radev on Monday March 18, 2024 tapped the largest group in parliament, the center-right GERB-UDF coalition, to form the country’s new government. Radev handed the mandate to Mariya Gabriel, the prime minister-designate under a power-sharing deal by the two main political parties, according to which each would hold the top job for nine months at a time. (Olivier Hoslet, Pool Photo via AP, File)