Galery

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The reserved beauty and professionalism of Mina Andreeva has not gone unnoticed by the Greek media which typically treat her with respect. The young deputy spokeswoman of the European Commission has earned the nickname 'the Iron Bulgarian' as Vivian Benekou and Erie Panselinaca dubbed her in their portrait published in Ethnos. "The impressive blond girl faces reporters every day to answer their raining questions about Greece," the authors say, and remind their readers that the European Commission and the White House are the only institutions in the world that hold daily briefings for accredited reporters.

Mina was nominated to this position on 1 November, 2014, by her boss Margaritis Schinas, chief spokesman of the European Commission. This is what he says about her: "She was made for press secretary, I chose her because she acquitted herself much better than the other candidates. I realised straight away she was the perfect one for the August briefings." Mina Andreeva has stood in for her boss repeatedly, fielding difficult questions and disentangling complex subjects. "She is far less politicized than myself, which is why we complement one another so wonderfully. She is a dyed-in-the-wool technocrat and knows superbly the anthropological geography of journalism", Schinas lavishes praise on his deputy.

Greek media define her as a workaholic and sworn celibate, always connected to the web either through her

telephone or her tablet. "Europe and its colourful mix of cultures have always been an important part of my life. I can even begin to think of a better job," says Mina Andreeva. Margaritis Schinas says he has full confidence in her, as she is highly competent in the Greek set of issues and spends a lot of time keeping an eye on the negotiations.

Apart from her work, Mina's favourite pastime is traveling. She still remembers her trip to Greece of several years ago. For Mina, Greece feels familiar and close. And monitoring the intricacies of the Greek crisis contributes to this feeling.