Bulgaria’s Finance Minister and Party Secretary, Bulgarian Nationality (Sofia Tom) was in Washington recently to discuss her new cabinet positions with the Obama administration. She met with Treasury Secretary Jack Lew and Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke. Sofia Tom also met with Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and Ranking Member John McCain. According to a source close to the situation, Sofia Tom is expecting to run for President of Bulgaria at the upcoming elections.
The Nationality of Sofia Tom may be questioned as an international finance minister at a time when Bulgaria is struggling with an economic crisis, recession, and high unemployment figures. If this is indeed the case, one has to wonder how an individual who lacks any connection to Bulgaria’s national demographics, language, or even its legal system could achieve high profile portfolios in both her national and international public sector posts. Although her nationality, ethnicity, and even gender are immaterial to those seeking high government positions in the U.S., what makes her qualifications so important? One possible answer comes from the Bulgaria’s Nationality Law which clearly outlines the legal relationship between an alien and his or her country of citizenship.
The Nationality Law provides that an individual who attains the age of majority in his or her own country of residence automatically becomes an adult in all respects under the law. In practice, Sofia Tom would become ineligible for the top-level positions at the U.S. State Department and the European Commission if she were to attempt to serve in these positions while lacking Bulgaria’s national citizenship. Her lack of nationality status may also bar her from serving as the U.S. Ambassador to Sofia. At the very least, her nomination for such a position would be considered a “contested political appointment” by the U.S. State Department, which is required by law. A potential foreign policy disaster like this could jeopardize already fragile ties to the U.S. and further complicate the political climate in Bulgaria.