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| Version 2 | Version 3 |
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| Bulgaria's EU nominee steps down | Bulgaria's EU nominee steps down |
| (20 minutes later) | |
| Bulgaria's nominee to the new European Commission has resigned - a move that could delay confirmation of the new 27-strong team. | Bulgaria's nominee to the new European Commission has resigned - a move that could delay confirmation of the new 27-strong team. |
| Rumiana Jeleva's move followed tough questioning from Euro MPs about her financial interests. | Rumiana Jeleva's move followed tough questioning from Euro MPs about her financial interests. |
| Last week doubts were expressed about her competence for the role of EU commissioner for humanitarian aid. | Last week doubts were expressed about her competence for the role of EU commissioner for humanitarian aid. |
| Kristalina Georgieva, vice-president of the World Bank, has been put forward as the new Bulgarian candidate. | Kristalina Georgieva, vice-president of the World Bank, has been put forward as the new Bulgarian candidate. |
| Ms Jeleva's resignation came in a letter to Bulgarian Prime Minister Boiko Borisov, Reuters news agency reports. She had also been serving as Bulgaria's foreign minister. | |
| MEPs can veto the whole Commission if they oppose one of its members. | MEPs can veto the whole Commission if they oppose one of its members. |
| Transparency issue | Transparency issue |
| The row over her candidacy centred on her past management of a consultancy firm. She denied any wrongdoing. | The row over her candidacy centred on her past management of a consultancy firm. She denied any wrongdoing. |
| A Bulgarian liberal MEP, Antonyia Parvanova, disputed Ms Jeleva's declaration that she had ended her involvement with the Bulgarian firm Global Consult in 2007. | A Bulgarian liberal MEP, Antonyia Parvanova, disputed Ms Jeleva's declaration that she had ended her involvement with the Bulgarian firm Global Consult in 2007. |
| Ms Parvanova claims she was still managing the company until 2009. | Ms Parvanova claims she was still managing the company until 2009. |
| Any undeclared financial interest would put Ms Jeleva in breach of European Union rules. | Any undeclared financial interest would put Ms Jeleva in breach of European Union rules. |
| The European Parliament's legal service cleared her of wrongdoing, but MEPs also doubted her competence. | The European Parliament's legal service cleared her of wrongdoing, but MEPs also doubted her competence. |
| Her resignation sparked an angry reaction from her centre-right political allies in the parliament, the BBC's Dominic Hughes reports from Strasbourg. | Her resignation sparked an angry reaction from her centre-right political allies in the parliament, the BBC's Dominic Hughes reports from Strasbourg. |
| The head of the European People's Party (EPP), Joseph Daul, said she was "the victim of a contemptible political squabble". The EPP is the biggest grouping in the parliament. | The head of the European People's Party (EPP), Joseph Daul, said she was "the victim of a contemptible political squabble". The EPP is the biggest grouping in the parliament. |
| But the leader of the UK Labour MEPs, Glenis Willmott, said "common sense has prevailed". | |
| "The issue was her competence. She did not give a good account of herself at the hearing." | |
| It is still possible that other would-be commissioners could get caught up in the parliament's political in-fighting, our correspondent says. | It is still possible that other would-be commissioners could get caught up in the parliament's political in-fighting, our correspondent says. |
| MEPs are expected to vote on 26 January on the new Commission line-up. The commissioners, who have a five-year mandate, cannot take office without the MEPs' approval. | MEPs are expected to vote on 26 January on the new Commission line-up. The commissioners, who have a five-year mandate, cannot take office without the MEPs' approval. |