{{short description|Bulgarian journalist}} {{family name hatnote|Nikolova|Yoncheva|lang=Bulgarian}} {{Infobox officeholder | name = | honorific_suffix = {{Post-nominals|size=100%|MEP}} | party = [[Movement for Rights and Freedoms|DPS]] (2024–present) | image = 1718810791746 20240619 YONCHEVA Elena BG 003.jpg | caption = Official portrait, 2024 | constituency_MP = [[Bulgaria (European Parliament constituency)|Bulgaria]] | term_start = 2 July 2019 | term_end = | parliament = European | birth_date = {{birth date and age|1964|5|27|df=y}} | birth_place = [[Sofia]], [[People's Republic of Bulgaria|Bulgaria]] | death_date = | death_place = | spouse = | relations = | children = | alma_mater = [[Moscow State University]] | occupation = [[Journalist]] • [[Politician]] | profession = | website = | partner = [[Sergey Stanishev]] (1994–2009) | other_party = [[Bulgarian Socialist Party|BSP]] (2017–2024) | office1 = Member of the [[National Assembly (Bulgaria)|National Assembly]] | term_start1 = 19 April 2017 | term_end1 = 1 July 2019 | birth_name = Elena Nikolova Yoncheva }}
'''Elena Nikolova Yoncheva''' ({{langx|bg|Елена Николова Йончева}}; born 27 May 1964) is a [[Bulgaria]]n [[freelancer|freelance]] [[journalist]] and politician who has been serving as a [[Member of the European Parliament]] since [[2019 European Parliament election in Bulgaria|2019]].<ref>{{Cite web |date=1964-05-27 |title=Home {{!}} Elena YONCHEVA {{!}} MEPs {{!}} European Parliament |url=https://www.europarl.europa.eu/meps/en/197842/ELENA_YONCHEVA/home |access-date=2024-04-22 |website=www.europarl.europa.eu |language=en}}</ref>
A former [[Bulgarian National Television]] correspondent, Yoncheva has reported from many conflict areas, and has authored more than 25 TV documentaries on these conflicts.
== Early life ==
Yoncheva was born on 27 May 1964 in [[Sofia]], to a Bulgarian father, Nikola, and a Russian mother, Larisa.<ref>{{Cite web |date=1964-05-27 |title=Home {{!}} Elena YONCHEVA {{!}} MEPs {{!}} European Parliament |url=https://www.europarl.europa.eu/meps/en/197842/ELENA_YONCHEVA/home |access-date=2025-08-07 |website=www.europarl.europa.eu |language=en}}</ref> She datеd [[Sergey Stanishev]], former [[Prime Minister of Bulgaria]], between 1994 and 2009; they had known each other since their student years in [[Moscow]], [[Russia]].<ref>{{cite web| url = http://www.mediapool.bg/elena-yoncheva-prizna-che-e-razdelena-sas-stanishev-news156235.html | title = Елена Йончева призна, че е разделена със Станишев| date = 2009-09-09|access-date = 2014-07-11| publisher = mediapool.bg}}</ref>
== Career in journalism ==
Yoncheva has reported from [[Kosovo]], [[Algeria]], [[Chechnya]], [[Israel]], [[Somalia]], [[Afghanistan]], [[Iraq]], [[Venezuela]], [[Colombia]] and other hot spots. Yoncheva has also authored a documentary on the [[St. Kliment Ohridski Base|Bulgarian Antarctic base]], the [[Roma in Bulgaria|Roma]] in [[Lom, Bulgaria|Lom]] and on other topics.
After filming the [[war in Donbas]] she was informed that she was not allowed to enter the country anymore. While covering the [[Iraq War]] in 2003, she was captured by armed civilians, but was quickly rescued by an Iraqi official and did not suffer serious injuries.<ref>{{cite web| url = http://www.worldpress.org/Europe/1047.cfm| last =Petrov| first =Plamen| title = The Bulgarian Press on the War in Iraq| access-date = 2006-07-07| publisher = Worldpress.org, April 15, 2003}}</ref> In June 2013, she was injured by a [[Teargas grenade gun|tear-gas grenade]] while reporting from [[Istanbul]], [[Turkey]].<ref>{{cite web| url = http://www.dnevnik.bg/bulgaria/2013/06/17/2083279_elena_ioncheva_beshe_ranena_ot_sulzotvorna_granata_v/ | title = Elena Yoncheva was injured by a tear-gas grenade in Istanbul| access-date = 2013-09-12| publisher = Dnevnik}}</ref>
In 2008, she became a participant in [[bTV (Bulgaria)|bTV]]'s television series ''[[Dancing with the Stars|Dancing Stars]]''. Since October 2013, she is co-anchor of TV7's show ''The Original'', together with [[Ivan Garelov]].
=== Documentaries === Source<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.undp.bg/en/rmtl_elena_yoncheva.php |title=Elena Yoncheva |access-date=2006-07-07 |publisher=United Nations Development Program |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20051223080633/http://www.undp.bg/en/rmtl_elena_yoncheva.php |archive-date=December 23, 2005 }} </ref>
* ''Sarajevo'' ''(September 1993)'' * ''Albania Today'' (November 1993) * ''The New Colors of South Africa'' (May 1994) * ''The White Wolves'' (November 1995) -Covers "foreign mercenaries and volunteers from Russia, Bulgaria, France in the Special Actions Unit of the [[Serbian Army of Krajina|Serb Army]] in Bosnia" * ''Terror'' (January 1996) - Covers the [[First Chechen War]] * ''Welcome to Afghanistan'' (December 1996) * ''Anatomy of Horror'' (April 1998) - Covers [[Islamism|Islamist]] Fundamentalist terrorism in Algeria * ''Border Line'' (April 1999) - Covers "the development of the Kosovo crisis" * ''Shto Sakash? (What do you want?)'' ''(July 2001)'' -Covers "the conflict with NLA - [[National Liberation Army (Macedonia)|National Liberation Army]] in Macedonia" * ''Join the Team (The Game)'' (2002)-Six-part mini-series covering the lives of [[Romani people in Bulgaria|Bulgarian Roma]] * ''The Border'' - A denouncement the trafficking of migrants through [[Bulgaria]], which is allegedly facilitated by Bulgarian authorities.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://dariknews.bg/novini/bylgariia/elena-ioncheva-predstavi-film-za-trafika-na-bezhanci-2060546| title= Elena Yoncheva presented her film on human trafficking| date= 13 November 2017| publisher= Darik News}}</ref>
== Member of the European Parliament, 2019–present ==
Yoncheva was elected to the [[European Parliament]] on the [[Bulgarian Socialist Party]] ticket, during the [[2019 European Parliament election in Bulgaria]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://results.cik.bg/ep2019/mandati/index.html|title=Европейски парламент :: Европейски парламент 2019|website=results.cik.bg|access-date=2019-05-30}}</ref> As part of her campaign for a Member of the European Parliament, she shared evidence allegedly proving [[corruption]] in the Bulgarian Ministry of Culture.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.novinite.com/articles/194861/Opposition+BSP+MP+Elena+Yoncheva+Accused+Minister+of+Culture+of+Corruption| title= Opposition BSP MP Elena Yoncheva Accused Minister of Culture of Corruption| publisher= Novinite}}</ref>
In parliament, Yoncheva is a member of the [[Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs]] and the [[European Parliament Subcommittee on Security and Defence|Subcommittee on Security and Defence]]. She is also member of the Democracy, Rule of Law & Fundamental Rights Monitoring Group.<ref>[https://www.europarl.europa.eu/cmsdata/214942/LIBE%20DFRMG%20-%20Members.pdf Democracy, Rule of Law & Fundamental Rights Monitoring Group, 2019–2024] [[European Parliament]].</ref>
In addition to her committee assignments, Yoncheva is part of the parliament's delegations for relations with Israel and to the Parliamentary Assembly of the [[Union for the Mediterranean]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.europarl.europa.eu/meps/en/197842/ELENA_YONCHEVA/home| title= Elena Yoncheva on EP's website| date= 27 May 1964| publisher= Website of the European Parliament}}</ref>
Yoncheva was the chair of an inter-institutional negotiation group meant to agree to the details of the [[EU Migration Pact]] and pass it through the European Parliament.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.24chasa.bg/bulgaria/article/16961321| title= Elena Yoncheva on EP's website| date= 1 February 2023| publisher= 24chasa}}</ref>
She was nominated as a candidate for MEP from the [[Movement for Rights and Freedoms|DPS]] political party in the [[2024 European Parliament election in Bulgaria|2024 European Parliament election]].<ref>{{Cite web |date=2024-05-06 |title=Пеевски повежда листите на ДПС в Кърджали и Благоевград, Чакъров става водач на евролистата |url=https://www.dnevnik.bg/izbori-2024/2024/05/06/4622287_peevski_povejda_listite_na_dps_v_kurdjali_i/?ref=home_layer2|website=Dnevnik.bg |language=bg}}</ref>
== References == {{reflist}}
== External links ==
* {{cite web| url = http://www.elido.com/cgi-bin/e-cms/vis/vis.pl?s=001&p=0012&n=000093&g=| title = CD Portfolio for Elena Yoncheva| access-date = 2006-07-07| publisher = Elido Media (LAMEL Ltd.)
}}
* {{cite web| url = http://www.sofiaecho.com/article/between-terrorists-apartheid-and-mps/id_6254/catid_32| last =Nacheva| first =Velina| title = Between terrorists, apartheid and MPS| access-date = 2006-07-07| publisher = [[The Sofia Echo]] |date=2003-01-16}}
{{Portal|European Union}}
{{Navboxes | title=Elena Yoncheva navigational boxes | list = {{Current EP Bulgaria}} {{EP Political Group S&D}} }}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Yoncheva, Elena}} [[Category:1964 births]] [[Category:Living people]] [[Category:21st-century Bulgarian women politicians]] [[Category:Bulgarian journalists]] [[Category:Bulgarian Socialist Party MEPs]] [[Category:Bulgarian women journalists]] [[Category:MEPs for Bulgaria 2019–2024]] [[Category:MEPs for Bulgaria 2024–2029]] [[Category:People from Sofia]] [[Category:War correspondents of the Iraq War]] [[Category:War correspondents of the Russo-Ukrainian war]] [[Category:War correspondents of the Yugoslav Wars]] [[Category:Women war correspondents of the Chechen wars]] [[Category:Women in the war in Donbas]] [[Category:Women war correspondents of the Iraq War]] [[Category:Women war correspondents of the Russo-Ukrainian war]] [[Category:War correspondents of the Chechen wars]] [[Category:Women war correspondents of the Yugoslav Wars]]