Margarita Popova

Margarita Popova
Маргарита Попова
Official portrait, 2012
5th Vice President of Bulgaria
In office 22 January 2012 – 22 January 2017
President	Rosen Plevneliev
Prime Minister	Boyko Borisov Marin Raykov Plamen Oresharski Georgi Bliznashki Boyko Borisov
Preceded by	Angel Marin
Succeeded by	Iliana Iotova
Minister of Justice
In office 27 July 2009 – 29 November 2011
Prime Minister	Boyko Borisov
Preceded by	Miglena Tacheva
Succeeded by	Diana Kovacheva
Personal details
Born	(1957-05-15) 15 May 1957 Velingrad, Bulgaria
Political party	Citizens for European Development of Bulgaria
Spouse	Yordan Popov
Alma mater	Sofia University
Profession	Philologist, Jurist

Margarita Stefanova Popova (Bulgarian: Маргарита Стефанова Попова; born 15 May 1957) is Bulgarian jurist, prosecutor, educator who was Vice President of Bulgaria from 2012 to 2017. She previously served as Minister of Justice from 27 July 2009 to 4 September 2011 in the cabinet of Boyko Borisov. As the running mate of presidential candidate Rosen Plevneliev in the October 2011 presidential election, she was elected as vice president and took office in January 2012.

Biography

Margarita Popova graduated Bulgarian philology in University of Sofia in 1980, and later (1989) law in the same university. She was appointed prosecutor in Pirdop in 1990, in 1991 she was a regional prosecutor in Ruse, and administrative head and regional prosecutor in Sofia district from 1996 to 2006. She studied law under communism and is an expert on communist law. She carries on her expertise on communist law in her work as vice-president.

She was lecturer in the National Police Academy (2001–2004) and National Institute of Justice (2005–2009).