EU foreign policy, Bulgaria in the EU, Western Balkans
Languages
Bulgarian, English, Italian, conversational French
Biography
Maria Simeonova is the Head of Sofia office at the European Council on Foreign Relations. Her topics of focus include EU foreign policy, Bulgaria in the EU and the Western Balkans region.
Prior to joining ECFR in September 2020, Simeonova was a civil servant at the Bulgarian Ministry of Finance. She has previously completed internships at the Bulgarian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Permanent Representation of the Republic of Bulgaria to the EU, and the European Commission as a Blue Book Trainee at the Directorate-General for International Cooperation and Development.
Simeonova holds a BA degree in International Relations from Sofia University and an MA degree in European Studies: Transnational and Global Perspectives from Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Belgium. Her master’s thesis focused on coherence issues in EU external energy policy and relations with Russia.
European Parliament, Altiero Spinelli Building, Brussels, Belgium
·ECFR Sofia
This week at the European Parliament, the Sofia office of the European Council on Foreign Relations, together with the office of Radan Kanev, Member of the European Parliament from the EPP Group, convened a policy discussion on the role of the energy transition in advancing the Western Balkan countries’ path toward full EU membership
Bulgarians have turned out in their thousands to protest against the government. The EU needs to address the country’s democratic backsliding and avoid it becoming part of Viktor Orban’s camp
InterContinental Hotel | pl. "Narodno sabranie" 4, Sofia, Bulgaria
·ECFR Sofia
The changing international environment creates a new opportunity for the relationship between Britain and the EU. From security and defence to trade, migration, and climate, the partnership between the UK and the EU is a strategic imperative. A plurality of Brits and Europeans believe in a closer UK-EU partnership and want them to come together…
Bulgaria celebrated its entry into the euro zone this month, but inside the country, opposition figures are being arrested and its judiciary is crumbling. This democratic backsliding risks undermining the EU from within
Europe’s security requires cooperation with Turkey, but Erdogan’s domestic abuses complicate the relationship. To navigate this, Europeans must invest in this partnership, prioritising urgent needs while carefully nurturing the seeds of a more democratic Turkey for the future
Mark Leonard welcomes Célia Belin, Piotr Buras, Anna Kuchenbecker, Maria Simeonova, and Arturo Varvelli to discuss what the outcome of the US election means for Europe
Bulgaria’s latest election is part of a regional pattern of voting irregularities, Russian disinformation, and the rise of anti-system parties, pressuring the EU’s efforts to protect democracy in its eastern neighborhood
The Black Sea’s strategic importance is increasingly evident in the context of Russia’s war against Ukraine. Russia’s weakening military capacity in the Black Sea region presents an opportunity for the EU to further its security, trade, and connectivity interests – while providing support for its littoral states
Bulgarians have turned out in their thousands to protest against the government. The EU needs to address the country’s democratic backsliding and avoid it becoming part of Viktor Orban’s camp
Bulgaria celebrated its entry into the euro zone this month, but inside the country, opposition figures are being arrested and its judiciary is crumbling. This democratic backsliding risks undermining the EU from within
Europe’s security requires cooperation with Turkey, but Erdogan’s domestic abuses complicate the relationship. To navigate this, Europeans must invest in this partnership, prioritising urgent needs while carefully nurturing the seeds of a more democratic Turkey for the future
Bulgaria’s latest election is part of a regional pattern of voting irregularities, Russian disinformation, and the rise of anti-system parties, pressuring the EU’s efforts to protect democracy in its eastern neighborhood
The Black Sea’s strategic importance is increasingly evident in the context of Russia’s war against Ukraine. Russia’s weakening military capacity in the Black Sea region presents an opportunity for the EU to further its security, trade, and connectivity interests – while providing support for its littoral states
Facing its sixth election in three years, Bulgaria’s political instability risks marginalising Sofia’s role within the EU. To avoid this, the campaigns of pro-European politicians in the country must not lose sight of Bulgaria’s international position
Bulgaria’s reformist government may have fallen, but this is a new era for the country. Policymakers should now build on Bulgarians’ growing sense of common purpose
Piotr Buras, Swantje Green, Jana Puglierin, Maria Simeonova, José Ignacio Torreblanca, Tara Varma, Arturo Varvelli
Views from the Capitals
The conflict in Ukraine will change Europe forever. Experts from across ECFR’s network of offices describe the view of the war from Berlin, London, Madrid, Paris, Rome, Sofia, and Warsaw
Bulgaria’s abstention on the European Climate Law not only isolates the country within the EU once again but also reveals two familiar shortfalls in Bulgarian diplomacy
Mark Leonard welcomes Célia Belin, Piotr Buras, Anna Kuchenbecker, Maria Simeonova, and Arturo Varvelli to discuss what the outcome of the US election means for Europe
Mark Leonard welcomes Célia Belin, Piotr Buras, Jana Puglierin, Maria Simeonova, José Ignacio Torreblanca, and Arturo Varvelli to discuss the European Parliament elections and the future of European politics
European Parliament, Altiero Spinelli Building, Brussels, Belgium
·ECFR Sofia
This week at the European Parliament, the Sofia office of the European Council on Foreign Relations, together with the office of Radan Kanev, Member of the European Parliament from the EPP Group, convened a policy discussion on the role of the energy transition in advancing the Western Balkan countries’ path toward full EU membership
InterContinental Hotel | pl. "Narodno sabranie" 4, Sofia, Bulgaria
·ECFR Sofia
The changing international environment creates a new opportunity for the relationship between Britain and the EU. From security and defence to trade, migration, and climate, the partnership between the UK and the EU is a strategic imperative. A plurality of Brits and Europeans believe in a closer UK-EU partnership and want them to come together…
This webinar will provide a snapshot analysis of election results and their implications for Europe’s foreign policy and security agenda. Featuring perspectives from selected ECFR offices across European capitals, the discussion will explore election outcomes in key EU member states – Bulgaria, France, Germany and Italy – and examine how the political reconfigurations in Brussels,…
Гледай на Фейсбук Софийският офис на Европейския съвет за външна политика има удоволствието да Ви покани на представянето на новия доклад на Владимир Шопов, „Да разцъфтят хиляди контакти: Как Китай се съревновава за влияние в България“, в който авторът разглежда дипломатическите усилия на Пекин в България на национално и субнационално ниво…
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