Meglena Kuneva graduated from the Faculty of Law of Sofia University St Kliment Ohridski with a degree in law and was later awarded Doctor in Law.
She specialized in International Relations and International Environmental Law at Georgetown University, Washington, USA in 1995 and 1999 - 2000, and in Environmental Law at Oxford, UK, in 1996.
From 1987 to 1991 she worked as a journalist and radio host in the Bulgarian National Radio. In 1991 she started at the Legal Department of the Council of Ministers, where she worked as senior advisor until 2001.
In 2001 Meglena Kuneva was appointed Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and Chief Negotiator on Bulgaria's accession to the European Union. On May 29, 2002 she was elected Bulgaria’s first Minister of European Affairs, a post which she held until her election as EU Commissioner in 2007.
In 2005 she successfully completed the process of drafting the Treaty of Accession of Bulgaria to the EU, and in 2007 - the process of ratification of the document by the other 25 EU Member States.
Meglena Kuneva is the first Bulgarian European Commissioner and the first Commissioner in charge of Protection of Consumer Rights in the European Commission.
During her term in office as European Commissioner, Kuneva proposed a common format for electricity bills in the Union and requiring banks to unify consumer credit rules. She also introduced the consumer market scoreboard and product safety management. She worked on four new directives on consumer protection, including consumer credit, unfair trade practices, consumer rights, and timeshares. She brought negotiations on and the signing of the Memorandum between the EU and China on product safety to a conclusion. In 2008 Kuneva was awarded Commissioner of the Year Award.
Kuneva is the recipient of the Order of the Legion of Honour of France, the Order of Civil Merit of Spain, the Order of Prince Henry of the Republic of Portugal and the Order of the Star of Italian Solidarity.
On July 1, 2012 she was elected Chairman of Bulgaria for Citizens Movement political party.
On October 5, 2014 she was elected MP in the 43rd National Assembly from the Reformist Bloc electoral alliance.
She was appointed Deputy Prime Minister for European Policies Coordination and Institutional Affairs of November 7, 2014 by the 43rd National Assembly.
Meglena Kuneva was appointed Deputy Prime Minister for European Policies Coordination and Institutional Affairs and Minister of Education and Science on February 3, 2016 by the 43rd National Assembly.