Bulgaria’s Commissioner Mariya Gabriel received the Innovation and Youth portfolio in the new European Commission. Mariya Gabriel’s current portfolio is Digital Economy and Society. Commissioner Gabriel is now moving on to create new perspectives for young generation with portfolio Innovation and Youth, the President-elect of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen said. Bulgaria’s MEP Andrey Kovatchev from the European People's Party commented that Innovation and Youth is the portfolio of the future and includes education and culture as well. The Erasmus Programme, Creative Europe and Horizon 2020 programmes are also part of this portfolio. Over EUR 100 billion will be distributed under these programmes during the new programming period, MEP Kovatchev went on to say. Bulgaria’s MEP from the Group of the Progressive Alliance of Socialist and Democrats in the European Parliament Petar Vitanov commented that the Innovation and Youth portfolio is better than the previously mentioned portfolio Education and Culture, because education is in the prerogatives of the national states and the common European norms in this sphere are limited. The European Parliament now has to approve the new members of the European Commission. Before that, the candidates will answer questions before the committee responsible for the porfolio they have been assigned.