Meglena Kuneva facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Meglena Kuneva
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Меглена Кунева
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Kuneva in 2013
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| Deputy Prime Minister of Bulgaria | |
| In office 7 November 2014 – 27 January 2017 Serving with Tomislav Donchev and Ivailo Kalfin
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| Prime Minister | Boyko Borisov |
| Preceded by | Ekaterina Zakharieva Hristo Ivanov |
| Succeeded by | Stefan Yanev |
| Minister of Education and Science | |
| In office 3 February 2016 – 27 January 2017 |
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| Prime Minister | Boyko Borisov |
| Preceded by | Todor Tanev |
| Succeeded by | Nikolay Denkov |
| Minister of the European Union Affairs | |
| In office 7 November 2014 – 27 January 2017 |
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| Prime Minister | Boyko Borisov |
| Preceded by | Iliana Tsanova |
| Succeeded by | Malina Krumova |
| In office 29 May 2002 – 21 December 2006 |
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| Prime Minister | Simeon Sakskoburggotski Sergey Stanishev |
| Preceded by | Position established |
| Succeeded by | Gergana Passy |
| European Commissioner for Consumer Protection | |
| In office 1 January 2007 – 9 February 2010 |
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| President | José Manuel Barroso |
| Preceded by | Markos Kyprianou (Health and Consumer Protection) |
| Succeeded by | John Dalli (Health and Consumer Policy) |
| Leader of the Bulgaria for Citizens Movement | |
| In office 1 July 2012 – 4 April 2017 |
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| Preceded by | Position established |
| Succeeded by | Dimitar Delchev |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 22 June 1957 Sofia, PR Bulgaria |
| Political party | Bulgaria for Citizens Movement |
| Other political affiliations |
NDSV (2001-2012) |
| Spouse | Andrey Pramov |
| Alma mater | Sofia University Oxford University |
Meglena Kuneva (Bulgarian: Меглена Щилиянова Кунева; born 22 June 1957) is a politician from Bulgaria. She has held important roles in both her home country and the European Union.
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Early Life and Education
Meglena Kuneva was born in Sofia, the capital of Bulgaria. Her family came from the town of Rakovski. She studied Law at Sofia University and finished in 1981. In 1984, she earned a special degree called a Doctor of Law.
Before becoming a politician, Kuneva worked as a journalist. She hosted a law program on the Bulgarian National Radio. She also taught at Sofia University. During this time, she supported human rights, like ending the death penalty in Bulgaria.
In 1990, she started working for the Council of Ministers as a senior legal advisor. She held this job until 2001. She also studied Foreign Affairs and Environmental Law at Georgetown University and the University of Oxford.
Political Career Highlights
Starting in National Politics
In June 2001, Kuneva became a Member of Parliament in Bulgaria. She was one of the first members of the Simeon II National Movement (NDSV) party. Soon after, in August 2001, she became the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs. She was also the main person in charge of talks between Bulgaria and the European Union.
She helped create the EU Constitutional Treaty, which is like a rulebook for the European Union. In May 2002, she became Bulgaria's first Minister of European Affairs. She kept this job even when a new government was formed in 2005.
European Commissioner for Consumer Protection
In 2006, Meglena Kuneva was chosen to be Bulgaria's first member of the European Commission. This is like the government of the European Union. The President of the European Commission, Jose Manuel Durao Barroso, gave her the job of Commissioner for Consumer Protection. This means she was in charge of protecting the rights of people who buy goods and services in the EU.
The European Parliament approved her for the role in December 2006. She officially started her job on 1 January 2007, the day Bulgaria joined the EU. She took an oath at the European Court of Justice in Luxembourg.
During her time as Commissioner, Kuneva focused on how companies collect personal information online. She wanted to make sure that people's data was protected.
Returning to Bulgarian Politics
In 2012, Kuneva ran for president of Bulgaria as an independent candidate. She received 14% of the votes.
Later that year, she started her own political party called Bulgaria for Citizens Movement. In 2014, her party joined a group called the Reformist Bloc and won seats in the Bulgarian parliament. Kuneva became a Member of Parliament again. She then became a Deputy Prime Minister. In this role, she was responsible for foreign affairs, helping refugees, and protecting data.
In early 2016, Kuneva also became the Minister of Education and Science. At this time, Bulgaria's education system was going through big changes.
Work with the Council of Europe
In 2018, Kuneva was chosen to lead the EU Delegation to the Council of Europe. Here, she worked to create a common European approach and improve cooperation between the EU and the Council of Europe.
In 2024, she was a candidate to become the Council of Europe's Commissioner for Human Rights. However, she did not win the vote.
Other Activities and Views
Meglena Kuneva is also a member of the European Council on Foreign Relations (ECFR). She was also a judge for the 2008 Bulgarian Novel of the Year award.
In 2013, Kuneva spoke out against a ban on foreigners buying land in Bulgaria. This view matched what the European Commission believed. She has also shared her thoughts on political leadership, showing her perspective on how decisions are made in government.
Personal Life
Meglena Kuneva is married to Andrey Pramov, who works in finance. They have one son named Aleksandar.
Besides her native Bulgarian, she can speak English, French, and Russian. For fun, Kuneva enjoys listening to classical music.
See also
In Spanish: Meglena Kuneva para niños
- Barroso Commission
- Bulgarian membership of the European Union
