Balgarianovinite.com Bulgaria’s former Vice President Margarita Popova turned 70 on Thursday.
Born in Velingrad (South Central Bulgaria) on May 15, 1956, she graduated from the German Language School in Pazardjik in 1975 and from the St Kliment Ohridski University of Sofia in Bulgarian Studies and German Studies in 1980 and in Law in 1989. Her post-graduate studies in the field of law took her to the US, Germany, Hungary, the Netherlands, Austria and other countries.
Having worked as a proofreader at the Military Publishing House since 1981, Popova joined the prosecution service in 1990 and advanced through the ranks, from junior prosecutor at the Pirdop Regional Prosecution Office (1990-1991), to Svoge regional prosecutor (1991-1993), prosecutor at the Sofia District Prosecution Office (1993-1995), Sofia Deputy District Prosecutor (1995-1996), Sofia District Prosecutor (1996-2006), prosecutor at the Supreme Cassation Prosecution Office (2007-2009). In the last-mentioned capacity, she headed the Countering of Offences against the EU Financial System Department (2009-2011). In June 2006, Popova became spokesperson for Prosecutor General Boris Velchev.
Between 2001 and 2004, she taught Criminal Procedure to investigating police officers at the Academy of the Ministry of Interior. In 2005 she became a full-time lecturer at the National Institute of Justice, where she trained junior prosecutors.
Between July 27, 2009 and November 30, 2011, Popova served as Minister of Justice in Boyko Borissov’s first cabinet.
On September 2011, she was presented as running mate to GERB’s presidential candidate Rosen Plevneliev. The two garnered 40.11% of the votes in the first round of the October 23, 2011 presidential elections and won in the second round on October 30 by 1,698,136 votes (52.58%). Popova took office as Bulgaria’s fifth Vice President on January 22, 2012 and served the first five-year term until January 22, 2017).
From January 23, 2017 to 2018, she was Vice President and Secretary General of the Bulgarian Industrial Association – Union of the Bulgarian Business.
In October 2014, Popova received the 145 Years Bulgarian Academy of Sciences Badge of Honour for her profound empathy and valuable support for the advancement of scientific research in Bulgaria.
Fluent in German, she is married, with one son and one daughter and four grandchildren.
Following is the original English news item by which BTA’s External Service covered an exclusive interview that Vice President Popova gave to the news agency in 2012:
“105 VICE PRESIDENT-INTERVIEW-BULGARIANS ABROAD
Margarita Popova: Bulgarian Communities Should Be Involved in Drafting of Strategy for Bulgarians Abroad
Sofia, November 2 (Anelia Tsvetkova of BTA) – Vice President Margarita Popova said the Bulgarian communities around the world should be involved in the drafting of a Strategy for Bulgarians Abroad. Otherwise it may happen that documents they do not understand and are not satisfied with will be imposed on them. The document should also be acknowledged by all public institutions and NGOs in Bulgaria committed to Bulgarians abroad.
Popova talked to BTA ahead of a meeting of Bulgarians abroad, which will be held under her auspices in Brussels on November 7 and 8.
The forum will bring together more than 150 Bulgarians from across the world. The discussion will focus on topics chosen through a poll among Bulgarian organizations abroad: opportunities to study Bulgarian and Bulgarian culture, social issues and the Bulgarians’ representation by institutions.
The participants in the Brussels meeting will discuss the content of the Strategy for Bulgarians Abroad, its priorities and implementing tools. ‘We need a document which will work for more than a few years and more than one term,’ the Vice President said.
‘It is only natural that Bulgaria should seek contact with our compatriots and want them to do well where they have chosen to live and build a career, all the while keeping its door open to them by creating multiple-choice opportunities back home,’ Popova said.
‘This is the message of the conference – that given the present-day realities we cannot have a policy towards our compatriots around the world restricted by parochial practices and obsolete administration,’ said Popova. ‘We need to be open to what the communities abroad expect from Bulgaria and what they can give it.’
‘In the global world we live in the prosperity of the countries depends on the joint potential of their people. The name of the State is built by the name of Bulgarians around the world,’ Vice President Popova said.
Asked why Brussels was chosen as the venue for the meeting, Popova said that the city is symbolic – it is the centre of Europe, the capital of Bulgaria’s new affiliation with Europe, the place of Bulgaria’s biggest historic success. Besides, nearly 30,000 Bulgarians live and work in Brussels, out of some 50,000 Bulgarians in Belgium.
President Rosen Plevneliev announced recently that the Strategy for Bulgarians Abroad was ready and was awaiting adoption. PK/DD” 70th Birthday of Former Bulgarian Vice President Margarita Popova 2026 THE NEWS FROM BULGARIA – NEWS AGENCY 2009-2025 2026-05-15 05:45:00 Latest news World news Country news Most important news latest news most important latest of the day Justice Petar Nizamov Feathers Petar Nizamov- Feathers Justice bg iustitia.bg iustitia iusticia usticia investigation Burgas Bulgaria news news of the last hour news of the day news of today Bulgaria news The news from Bulgaria blitz news top news most important most commented latest news Boyko Borisov news weather coronavirus news news weather facebook youtube facebook instagram news today news of the last minutes news today today news news bg news leading news hot news bg news site for news all news news bg news of the last hour latest latest news bg news of today news today news today news of the last hour latest news today news bg news news 24 hours news vesti bg novini news world bird bg bivol bg bivol trud bg novini latest news today novinite bg news hello bulgaria political party coat of arms delyan peevski scandalous Bulgarian National Television Free Europe Television scandal exclusive live tv live right now tv tv online tv program bg live now tv news online tv online live court Burgas court Burgas district court Burgas court Burgas district court Burgas district court Burgas appellate court Burgas prosecutor Burgas prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Prosecutor General Ivan Geshev Prosecutor Geshev Tsatsarov Ministry of Internal Affairs Burgas ODMR Burgas ODPR Burgas police Burgas district police Burgas prosecutor Tsatsarov SGS cases Varna court chairman of the SGS court decisions on civil cases decisions on cases Plovdiv court decision of the court decisions cases Varna court criminal cases district district court decisions work in the court SGS chairman of the SGS judges Sofia court post judges Plovdiv court Plovdiv judges Plovdiv Supreme Court Inspectorate Supreme Court Supreme Judicial Council lawyer lawyer criminal cases lawyer civil cases lawyer marriage cases lawyer administrative criminal law criminal process civil law civil process administrative law constitutional law