Tomislav Donchev

Tomislav Donchev is a Bulgarian politician with extensive experience in managing European projects, innovation, and economic development. Born on August 6, 1973, in Gabrovo, he holds master’s degrees in Philosophy and Journalism from Veliko Tarnovo University “St. Cyril and Methodius,” and a master’s degree in Business Administration obtained in 2006 from the same university. He has specialized in political science in Poland, support for high-tech SMEs in Israel, and business mentoring in Oxford, UK.  His career began as a teacher of philosophy and logic, followed by a role as an editor at Radio Gabrovo. From 2000 to 2004, he served as Executive Director of the High-Tech Business Incubator in Gabrovo, and later as Program Director at the Open Society Institute. In 2007, he was elected Mayor of Gabrovo, successfully implementing numerous EU-funded projects. In March 2010, he became Minister for EU Funds Management in the first government of Boyko Borissov. In 2014, he was elected as a Member of the European Parliament, and later that year appointed Deputy Prime Minister for EU Funds and Economic Policy. In January 2025, he was appointed Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Innovation and Growth in the government of Rosen Zhelyazkov.