Sofia, Jun 24 (IANS): The Bulgarian government chose two candidates to fill the country's open slot for a European commissioner: Iliana Ivanova and Daniel Lorer, the government said in a statement.

One of them should succeed Mariya Gabriel, who was the country's European commissioner for innovation, research, culture, education and youth until May 15. She gave up this post to become the Deputy Prime Minister and the Minister of Foreign Affairs in the incoming Bulgarian government, the statement added on Friday.

Lorer, currently a member of Bulgarian Parliament, was minister of innovation and growth from December 2021 to August 2022, while Ivanova is a member of the European Court of Auditors and a former member of the European Parliament, Xinhua news agency reported.

"According to its internal rules, the European Commission (EC) will decide who of these candidates would fit in the best possible way in the current structure of the EC," the Prime Minister Nikolai Denkov said.