Nikolay Mladenov is among the names being discussed as a possible new candidate for UN Secretary-General. The Bulgarian diplomat was mentioned in the context of the position of the Donald Trump administration that the current list of contenders does not fully meet Washington's expectations for reform of the world organization. Mladenov has not been officially nominated for the post.
Politico reports that a State Department representative has not ruled out Mladenov's candidacy. He has been identified as a possible contender along with other names that may appear at the last minute. At the same time, the US department stated that it would support a candidate who shows “unwavering commitment to implementing meaningful reform“.
None of the candidates has the support of the five permanent members
The topic of new names was activated after the sixth informal vote in the UN Security Council. According to the Associated Press, none of the seven official candidates received the support of all five permanent members of the council, who have the right to veto.
Rebecca Greenspan of Costa Rica remains in the lead with nine votes “encourage“, five “discourage“ and one “no opinion“. Two of the negative votes came from permanent members. Argentine Rafael Grossi and Guyana's UN ambassador, Caroline Rodriguez-Birkett, are also among the leading candidates, but they also received two negative votes from permanent members.
“If countries want to put forward more candidates, that is certainly within their sovereign rights“, said United States UN Ambassador Mike Walz after the vote. The next vote is expected next week.
Mladenov's experience in the UN and the Middle East
Mladenov was Bulgaria's defense minister from 2009 to 2010, and from 2010 to 2013 he headed the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. In the UN system, he was the special representative for Iraq and head of the organization's mission in the country, and later the special coordinator for the Middle East peace process.
In 2026, his name was associated with a leading role in the American Council for Peace for Gaza. It is this experience in international mediation and Middle East diplomacy that is among the reasons why Mladenov is being discussed as a potential compromise candidate, but there is no confirmation that he will be officially nominated.
Antonio Guterres' mandate ends on December 31, 2026. The election goes through a recommendation by the Security Council, after which the candidate must be appointed by the UN General Assembly. If the current contenders fail to overcome opposition from the permanent members, the race could widen to include new names.
Sources: apnews.com, politico.com, marketscreener.com