{{Short description|Spanish politician}} {{Infobox officeholder | honorific_prefix = | name = | honorific_suffix = {{Post-nominals|size=100%|MEP}} | party = People's Party (2024–present) | image = EvaPoptcheva-EurodiputadaCs.jpg | caption = | constituency_MP = Spain | term_start = 15 September 2022 | term_end = 9 June 2024 | parliament = European | birth_date = {{birth-date and age|17 October 1979}} | birth_place = Plovdiv, Bulgaria | death_date = | death_place = | spouse = | relations = | children = | alma_mater = University of Freiburg | occupation = | profession = | website = | predecessor = Luis Garicano | other_party = Citizens (until 2024) | citizenship = Bulgaria | native_name = {{Nobold|Ева-Мария Попчева}} }} '''Eva-Maria Poptcheva''' (born 17 October 1979) is a Spanish politician who has been serving as a Member of the European Parliament for the Citizens party from 2022 until 2024.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Home {{!}} Eva Maria POPTCHEVA {{!}} MEPs {{!}} European Parliament |url=https://www.europarl.europa.eu/meps/en/237320/EVA+MARIA_POPTCHEVA/home |access-date=2022-09-19 |website=www.europarl.europa.eu |language=en}}</ref>
==Early life and education== Poptcheva was born in Bulgaria<ref>{{Cite web |title=Meet Eva-Maria Poptcheva, our newest MEP |url=https://www.aldeparty.eu/meet_eva_maria_poptcheva_our_newest_mep |access-date=2023-07-18 |website=ALDE Party |language=en}}</ref> to parents of Bulgarian and German origins. Her father worked as a lawyer and her mother as an engineer.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Тя е кандидат за евродепутат.. от Испания: Коя е българката Ева-Мария Попчева? |url=https://nova.bg/news/view/2024/06/02/457875/%D1%82%D1%8F-%D0%B5-%D0%BA%D0%B0%D0%BD%D0%B4%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B0%D1%82-%D0%B7%D0%B0-%D0%B5%D0%B2%D1%80%D0%BE%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BF%D1%83%D1%82%D0%B0%D1%82-%D0%BE%D1%82-%D0%B8%D1%81%D0%BF%D0%B0%D0%BD%D0%B8%D1%8F-%D0%BA%D0%BE%D1%8F-%D0%B5-%D0%B1%D1%8A%D0%BB%D0%B3%D0%B0%D1%80%D0%BA%D0%B0%D1%82%D0%B0-%D0%B5%D0%B2%D0%B0-%D0%BC%D0%B0%D1%80%D0%B8%D1%8F-%D0%BF%D0%BE%D0%BF%D1%87%D0%B5%D0%B2%D0%B0 |access-date=2026-04-10 |website=nova.bg |language=bulgarian}}</ref>
In the late 1990s, Poptcheva and her father embarked on a road trip by bus to visit German universities. This led her to pursue law degree at the University of Freiburg, Germany, before completing her PhD in constitutional law at the Autonomous University of Barcelona, Spain.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Тя е кандидат за евродепутат.. от Испания: Коя е българката Ева-Мария Попчева? |url=https://nova.bg/news/view/2024/06/02/457875/%D1%82%D1%8F-%D0%B5-%D0%BA%D0%B0%D0%BD%D0%B4%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B0%D1%82-%D0%B7%D0%B0-%D0%B5%D0%B2%D1%80%D0%BE%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BF%D1%83%D1%82%D0%B0%D1%82-%D0%BE%D1%82-%D0%B8%D1%81%D0%BF%D0%B0%D0%BD%D0%B8%D1%8F-%D0%BA%D0%BE%D1%8F-%D0%B5-%D0%B1%D1%8A%D0%BB%D0%B3%D0%B0%D1%80%D0%BA%D0%B0%D1%82%D0%B0-%D0%B5%D0%B2%D0%B0-%D0%BC%D0%B0%D1%80%D0%B8%D1%8F-%D0%BF%D0%BE%D0%BF%D1%87%D0%B5%D0%B2%D0%B0 |access-date=2026-04-10 |website=nova.bg |language=bulgarian}}</ref>
She speaks Bulgarian, German, Spanish, Catalan, English, and French.
==Early career== Following her graduation, Poptcheva worked as a lawyer in both Spain and Germany. She went on to head the European Parliament's Legislative Affairs Unit.
In 2014 her book ''Multilevel Citizenship: The Right to Consular Protection of EU Citizens Abroad,'' was published.
==Political career== Poptcheva became an MEP in September 2022.<ref>{{Cite web |date=1979-10-17 |title=9th parliamentary term {{!}} Eva Maria POPTCHEVA {{!}} MEPs {{!}} European Parliament |url=https://www.europarl.europa.eu/meps/en/237320/EVA+MARIA_POPTCHEVA/history/9 |access-date=2023-07-18 |website=www.europarl.europa.eu |language=en}}</ref>
In parliament, Poptcheva served on the Committee on Economic and Monetary Affairs, first as a member and then as vice-chair.
Since 2023, Poptcheva has been part of the Centre for European Policy Studies/Heinrich Böll Foundation High-Level Group on Bolstering EU Democracy, chaired by Kalypso Nicolaïdis.<ref>[https://www.ceps.eu/ceps-task-forces/ceps-swp-high-level-group-on-eu-democracy/ CEPS-SWP High-Level Group on bolstering EU Democracy] Centre for European Policy Studies (CEPS), press release of 1 May 2023.</ref>
== See also ==
* List of members of the European Parliament for Spain, 2019–2024
== References == {{Reflist}} {{Current EP Spain}}{{EP Political Group Renew}}
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Poptcheva, Eva-Maria}} Category:Living people Category:1979 births Category:Citizens (Spanish political party) politicians Category:Citizens (Spanish political party) MEPs Category:MEPs for Spain 2019–2024 Category:21st-century women MEPs for Spain Category:21st-century Spanish women politicians Category:Spanish people of Bulgarian descent Category:University of Freiburg alumni