Ivan Kostov

Ivan Yordanov Kostov (also spelled Ivan Yordanov Kostov, Bulgarian Иван Йорданов Костов; born December 23, 1949 in Sofia) is a Bulgarian politician and former Prime Minister.

Study and career

Kostov graduated in economics at the Karl Marx Institute of Economics in Sofia, where he graduated in 1974 with the graduation. A further study of mathematics, he finished with the PhD Philosophiae Doctor ( Ph.D. ) at the St. Kliment Ohridski University of Sofia with a theme for the mathematical representation of economic processes.

Subsequently, he was from 1974 to 1981, first lecturer at the Technical University before he became associate professor (associate professor ) at the Technical University of Sofia appointed in 1982.

Political career

Member of Parliament and Minister of Finance

Kostov began his political career in 1990 after begun by the fall of the Berlin Wall collapse of the communist government of Todor Zhivkov. First, he was an economist in 1990, the newly formed anti-communist Union of Democratic Forces ( Sajus na Demokratitschni Sili ).

For SDS in 1990 he was first elected as a deputy of the National Assembly. Since 2004 it belongs to the National Assembly as a deputy of the DSB.

On December 7, 1990, he was appointed Minister of Finance in the government of Prime Minister Dimitar Popov. The finance minister, he took subsequently also in the government of Prime Minister Filip Dimitrov November 8, 1991 to December 30, 1992 true.

Party Chairman and Prime Minister

In December 1994, he was elected chairman of the SDS. This office he held until July 2001.

After the victory of SDS in the elections to the National Assembly on 19 April 1997 in which the SDS received 52.3 percent of the vote and 137 of the 240 parliamentary seats, he was on 21 May 1997 as the successor of Stefan Sofijanski Prime Minister.

His reigning until July 24, 2001 government was the first post- communist government, the entire four-year election time remained in office despite the difficult economic situation. During his tenure, a currency board has been used to combat inflation and the Bulgarian currency tied to the DM ( 1999 to the euro ). Next, the talks on accession negotiations with the European Union have not been implemented only long-delayed economic reforms such as the adjustment of legislation to the market economy and the privatization of state enterprises, but started that eventually led to the accession of Bulgaria to the European Union on 1 January 2007.

The government succeeded in spite of the economy of Bulgaria extremely adverse Yugoslavia crisis a turning point with the consequence of a political and economic stabilization. Domestically, however, the government did wrong the decision to grant NATO aircraft free flight in Bulgarian airspace to bombard the neighbors of Yugoslavia, which led to protests in the Bulgarian population. Economic reforms have led the other hand, however, a massive increase in unemployment, which were criticized by the guided remains of former communist officials and mass media also led to (but not proven ) allegations of corruption. On 7 April 1999 his government survived a no-confidence vote with 139 votes to 87, as well as on 16 February 2001 with 135 to 74 votes.

In the elections to the National Assembly on 17 June 2001, the SDS of the former Tsar Simeon II ( Simeon Saxe-Coburg Gotha ) was founded National Movement Simeon the Second ( NMSS ) was defeated. This then followed him on 21 July 2001 as Prime Minister. After his election defeat, in which the SDS lost 86 seats in parliament, Kostov resigned also the chair of the SDS and later joined also from the party.

In 2004 he founded a new political party with the Democrats for a Strong Bulgaria. After his re-election as Chairman of the DSB in July 2007 Kostov is the authoritative opposition politicians against coalition government ( 2005-2009), the Bulgarian Socialist Party, the NMSS and the Turkish minority party Movement for Rights and Freedoms ( DPS ). He is considered one of the most outspoken opponents of Ahmed Dogan, leader of the DPS.

On January 11, 2012, the Bulgarian Parliament adopted, on Kostov proposal, unanimously adopted a declaration against the assimilation policies of the former totalitarian regime against the Muslim minority.

After the lost 2013 parliamentary elections, in which the DSB failed to enter parliament Kostov announced his resignation as party leader. On June 23, 2013 Radan Kanev was elected to Kostov proposal to the new Chairman of the DSB.