Boyko Borisov
Encyclopedia
Boyko Metodiev Borisov is a Bulgaria
n politician who has been Prime Minister of Bulgaria since July 2009. Previously he was Mayor of Sofia from 8 November 2005 until his election as Prime Minister.
After his party, GERB
, won the July 2009 parliamentary election
, Borisov became Bulgaria's 50th Prime Minister on 27 July 2009.
(then a village, today a town part of greater Sofia) to Ministry of Internal Affairs official Metodi Borisov and elementary school teacher Veneta Borisova. Between 1982 and 1990, he assumed different positions in the Ministry of Internal Affairs as a firefighter and later as a professor at the Police Academy in Sofia. As a National Security Office member, Borisov took part in the protection of crops and haylofts during the name-changing campaign towards ethnic Turks in the 1980s. He quit the Ministry in 1990. In 1991 he founded a private security company, Ipon-1, and later guarded personalities like Todor Zhivkov
and Simeon II. Borisov has been actively participating in karate
championships since 1978, serving as the coach of the Bulgarian national team and a referee of international matches. He currently has 7th dan black belt in karate and is the chairman of the Bulgarian Karate Federation. Borisov has also been a coach for the Bulgarian national karate team for many years.
Borisov is not currently married, but lives with Tsvetelina Borislavova, head of the Economic and Investment Bank. Borisov has a daughter, Veneta, from his former marriage to the physician Stela. Borisov also has a sister, Krasimira Ivanova. Borisov's great-grandfather was executed in the wake of the Bulgarian coup d'état of 1944
.
.
In the 2005 parliamentary elections
he was candidate for member of Parliament for the National Movement Simeon II
, and was elected in two regions but decided to retain his job as Chief Secretary of the Ministry. Later that year he resigned from this post, and instead participated in and won the elections for mayor of Sofia
, where he replaced Stefan Sofiyanski
.
in 2006 (in English Coat of Arms, while also being an acronym for "Grazhdani za evropeisko razvitie na Bulgariya" or "Citizens for European Development of Bulgaria"). GERB won the first Bulgarian European Parliament elections
on 20 May 2007, despite a very low poll attendance and turnout of 28.6%, which prompted Borisov to voice his wish for early parliamentary elections. Following a party congress in January 2010, Borisov became the official leader of GERB (of which he had been only an "informal leader"), thus replacing Tsvetan Tsvetanov
, who had served under Borisov at the Ministry of Internal Affairs, and later as a vice-mayor of Sofia.
on 5 July 2009 by collecting 39.71% of the popular vote and 116 of the 240 seats in parliament. Since 27 July 2009 Borisov has been serving as Prime Minister of Bulgaria in a minority GERB-dominated centre-right
government.
was the first motorway to be completed. The government has also approved a strategy for the development of the energy sector until 2020, which includes the completion of the Belene Nuclear Power Plant
and expanding renewable energy capacities. The acquisition of European funds has also increased from 2.6% to 20%.
Specialised police actions have tackled corruption in the administration and a number of high-profile members of the organised crime have been imprisoned, though there has been little improvement in the rule of law.
Borisov is also a strong supporter of the total smoking ban
and is to implement the measure in 2012 with the aim to reduce the number of smokers from 40% of the population to about 15-20%.
During its term, Borisov's government also nationalised all private pension fund
s, a step that was later rendered illegal by the Constitutional Court of Bulgaria
.
In a move that outraged the scientific community of the country, his cabinet reduced scientific funding by 38% and the educational budget by 21%.
Borisov's hardline governing style has received criticism, described by some as authoritarian. In early 2011 a number of think-tanks and analysts have raised concern about the degradation of media freedom and transparency in the country, while in 2011 reports surfaced that Borisov has been paying cash to journalists for a positive portrayal and has been threatening others for criticism as early as 2005. In 2011, Bulgaria was ranked as the worst-performing EU member in terms of media freedom, according to Freedom House
, and ranked 77th internationally.
, told Bulgarian expatriates
that the human material
and the basis of Bulgarian population at the moment include one million Roma
, 700,000 Turks
and 2.5 million retirees. He added that the human material that they are left with as voters and as a pool for recruiting staff is really not that big, as half a million people have left Bulgaria. Vice-president of the Party of European Socialists
, Jan Marinus Wiersma
, accused Borisov of referring "to the Turks, Roma and pensioners in Bulgaria as "bad human material," and claimed that GERB "has already crossed the invisible line between right wing populism and extremism."
Borisov has denied these accusations and in turn, he has accused the Bulgarian Socialist Party
of attempting to discredit him. Borisov stated in a meeting with NGOs on 5 March 2009 that he intends to include representatives of the Roma ethnicity in all levels of government, including a potential minister, and has reached out to offer inclusivity to Bulgaria’s ethnic Turkish population; although these measures and proposals have been seen as politically empty.
On 14 January 2011, journalists from the Bulgarian weekly newspaper Galeria distributed audio records of an alleged conversation between Borisov and Customs Agency Head Vanyo Tanov. The tapes reveal that Borisov instructed customs authorities to immediately stop their investigation of "Ledenika" brewery which had been suspected of illegal activities and tax crimes. Later those tapes were declared "manipulated" (not being able to tell if they were fake or not) by two independent examinations.
|-
Bulgaria
Bulgaria , officially the Republic of Bulgaria , is a parliamentary democracy within a unitary constitutional republic in Southeast Europe. The country borders Romania to the north, Serbia and Macedonia to the west, Greece and Turkey to the south, as well as the Black Sea to the east...
n politician who has been Prime Minister of Bulgaria since July 2009. Previously he was Mayor of Sofia from 8 November 2005 until his election as Prime Minister.
After his party, GERB
Gerb
A gerb is a type of firework which produces a jet of sparks, usually lasting between 15 and 60 seconds. It is a thick-walled tube filled with pyrotechnic composition and possessing a choke, which is a narrowing in the tube...
, won the July 2009 parliamentary election
Bulgarian parliamentary election, 2009
Parliamentary elections were held in Bulgaria on 5 July 2009. The decisive winner of the elections was Citizens for European Development of Bulgaria party, led by Sofia mayor Boyko Borisov...
, Borisov became Bulgaria's 50th Prime Minister on 27 July 2009.
Early life
Borisov was born in 1959 in BankyaBankya
Bankya is an upscale town and district in western Bulgaria. It is administratively part of greater Sofia.The district is famous for the mineral springs and baths that have been used for their medicinal properties for hundreds of years. Prime Minister of Bulgaria Boyko Borisov is a native...
(then a village, today a town part of greater Sofia) to Ministry of Internal Affairs official Metodi Borisov and elementary school teacher Veneta Borisova. Between 1982 and 1990, he assumed different positions in the Ministry of Internal Affairs as a firefighter and later as a professor at the Police Academy in Sofia. As a National Security Office member, Borisov took part in the protection of crops and haylofts during the name-changing campaign towards ethnic Turks in the 1980s. He quit the Ministry in 1990. In 1991 he founded a private security company, Ipon-1, and later guarded personalities like Todor Zhivkov
Todor Zhivkov
Todor Khristov Zhivkov was a communist politician and leader of the People's Republic of Bulgaria from March 4, 1954 until November 10, 1989....
and Simeon II. Borisov has been actively participating in karate
Karate
is a martial art developed in the Ryukyu Islands in what is now Okinawa, Japan. It was developed from indigenous fighting methods called and Chinese kenpō. Karate is a striking art using punching, kicking, knee and elbow strikes, and open-handed techniques such as knife-hands. Grappling, locks,...
championships since 1978, serving as the coach of the Bulgarian national team and a referee of international matches. He currently has 7th dan black belt in karate and is the chairman of the Bulgarian Karate Federation. Borisov has also been a coach for the Bulgarian national karate team for many years.
Borisov is not currently married, but lives with Tsvetelina Borislavova, head of the Economic and Investment Bank. Borisov has a daughter, Veneta, from his former marriage to the physician Stela. Borisov also has a sister, Krasimira Ivanova. Borisov's great-grandfather was executed in the wake of the Bulgarian coup d'état of 1944
Bulgarian coup d'état of 1944
The Bulgarian coup d'état of 1944, also known as the 9 September coup d'état and called in pre-1989 Bulgaria the National Uprising of 9 September or the Socialist Revolution of 9 September was a change in the Kingdom of Bulgaria's administration and government carried out on the eve of 9 September...
.
Chief Secretary
Boyko Borisov was the Chief Secretary of the Bulgarian Ministry of Interior between 2001 and 2005, with the rank of GeneralGeneral
A general officer is an officer of high military rank, usually in the army, and in some nations, the air force. The term is widely used by many nations of the world, and when a country uses a different term, there is an equivalent title given....
.
In the 2005 parliamentary elections
Bulgarian parliamentary election, 2005
Bulgarian parliamentary election, 2005 - Elections were held on June 25, 2005, for the 240 members of the National Assembly. According to exit polls, the Leftist Coalition for Bulgaria had a lead with around 31%, but without a majority, necessitating the creation of a coalition. The National...
he was candidate for member of Parliament for the National Movement Simeon II
National Movement Simeon II
The National Movement for Stability and Progress or Nacionalno dviženie za stabilnost i văzhod), until 3 June 2007 known as the National Movement Simeon II , is a liberal political party in Bulgaria, the vehicle of Simeon Borisov Sakskoburggotski, the deposed Tsar of Bulgaria and former Prime...
, and was elected in two regions but decided to retain his job as Chief Secretary of the Ministry. Later that year he resigned from this post, and instead participated in and won the elections for mayor of Sofia
Sofia
Sofia is the capital and largest city of Bulgaria and the 12th largest city in the European Union with a population of 1.27 million people. It is located in western Bulgaria, at the foot of Mount Vitosha and approximately at the centre of the Balkan Peninsula.Prehistoric settlements were excavated...
, where he replaced Stefan Sofiyanski
Stefan Sofiyanski
Stefan Antonov Sofiyanski has been a leading member of the Union of Democratic Forces in Bulgaria. He served as interim Prime Minister in 1997 and was a three term Mayor of Sofia....
.
Founding of GERB
Borisov founded a new political party, GERBCitizens for European Development of Bulgaria
Citizens for European Development of Bulgaria , abbreviated GERB , is a Bulgarian centre-right political party established on March 13 2006. It has been Bulgaria's ruling party since 2009....
in 2006 (in English Coat of Arms, while also being an acronym for "Grazhdani za evropeisko razvitie na Bulgariya" or "Citizens for European Development of Bulgaria"). GERB won the first Bulgarian European Parliament elections
European Parliament election, 2007 (Bulgaria)
Bulgaria elected its members of the European Parliament in a by-election on 20 May 2007. It was the country's first European election, having joined the Union on 1 January of that year. The country now has 18 MEPs, no change from before the election. Previously Bulgaria was represented by MEPs...
on 20 May 2007, despite a very low poll attendance and turnout of 28.6%, which prompted Borisov to voice his wish for early parliamentary elections. Following a party congress in January 2010, Borisov became the official leader of GERB (of which he had been only an "informal leader"), thus replacing Tsvetan Tsvetanov
Tsvetan Tsvetanov
Tsvetan Genchev Tsvetanov is a Bulgarian politician and former Ministry of the Interior official. A former security deputy mayor of Sofia, he was, till 2009, the chairman of the Citizens for European Development of Bulgaria party...
, who had served under Borisov at the Ministry of Internal Affairs, and later as a vice-mayor of Sofia.
Prime Minister of Bulgaria
Borisov's party GERB also won the parliamentary electionBulgarian parliamentary election, 2009
Parliamentary elections were held in Bulgaria on 5 July 2009. The decisive winner of the elections was Citizens for European Development of Bulgaria party, led by Sofia mayor Boyko Borisov...
on 5 July 2009 by collecting 39.71% of the popular vote and 116 of the 240 seats in parliament. Since 27 July 2009 Borisov has been serving as Prime Minister of Bulgaria in a minority GERB-dominated centre-right
Centre-right
The centre-right or center-right is a political term commonly used to describe or denote individuals, political parties, or organizations whose views stretch from the centre to the right on the left-right spectrum, excluding far right stances. Centre-right can also describe a coalition of centrist...
government.
Domestic policy
Borisov's economic policies are mostly aimed at curbing corruption in the public administration and building an adequate infrastructure. One of the main goals in this direction is the expansion of the national motorway network, of which LyulinLyulin motorway
The Lyulin motorway is a motorway, which provides a link between the Sofia ringroad and the junction of Daskalovo near Pernik. Its construction began in 2007 and was scheduled to be finished in 38 months...
was the first motorway to be completed. The government has also approved a strategy for the development of the energy sector until 2020, which includes the completion of the Belene Nuclear Power Plant
Belene Nuclear Power Plant
The Belene Nuclear Power Plant is a nuclear power plant currently under construction 3 km from Belene and 11 km from Svishtov in Pleven Province, northern Bulgaria, near the Danube River...
and expanding renewable energy capacities. The acquisition of European funds has also increased from 2.6% to 20%.
Specialised police actions have tackled corruption in the administration and a number of high-profile members of the organised crime have been imprisoned, though there has been little improvement in the rule of law.
Borisov is also a strong supporter of the total smoking ban
Smoking ban
Smoking bans are public policies, including criminal laws and occupational safety and health regulations, which prohibit tobacco smoking in workplaces and/or other public spaces...
and is to implement the measure in 2012 with the aim to reduce the number of smokers from 40% of the population to about 15-20%.
During its term, Borisov's government also nationalised all private pension fund
Pension fund
A pension fund is any plan, fund, or scheme which provides retirement income.Pension funds are important shareholders of listed and private companies. They are especially important to the stock market where large institutional investors dominate. The largest 300 pension funds collectively hold...
s, a step that was later rendered illegal by the Constitutional Court of Bulgaria
Constitutional Court of Bulgaria
The Constitutional Court of Bulgaria is in charge of reviewing the constitutionality of laws and statutes brought before it, as well as the compliance of these laws with international treaties that the Government has signed. The 12 members of the Constitutional Court serve a nine-year term....
.
In a move that outraged the scientific community of the country, his cabinet reduced scientific funding by 38% and the educational budget by 21%.
Image
Boyko Borisov's "man of the people" attitude and the failings of the previous government have been seen as the main sources of his popularity. Borisov has also marked a very wide media presence, being regularly cited in most major media outlets and has made a total of 1,157 statements from his election to the end of 2010. This trend has continued throughout 2011, as Borisov and his party completely dominate the country's media reports. He has also been the subject of a number of sycophantic plaudits on the part of his supporters, including a poem lauding his "dignified leadership". Borisov's popularity has been steadily declining due to ongoing economic woes and failure to carry out promised reforms.Borisov's hardline governing style has received criticism, described by some as authoritarian. In early 2011 a number of think-tanks and analysts have raised concern about the degradation of media freedom and transparency in the country, while in 2011 reports surfaced that Borisov has been paying cash to journalists for a positive portrayal and has been threatening others for criticism as early as 2005. In 2011, Bulgaria was ranked as the worst-performing EU member in terms of media freedom, according to Freedom House
Freedom House
Freedom House is an international non-governmental organization based in Washington, D.C. that conducts research and advocacy on democracy, political freedom and human rights...
, and ranked 77th internationally.
Controversy
Borisov, on 6 February 2009, speaking in ChicagoChicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
, told Bulgarian expatriates
Bulgarian Americans
Bulgarian Americans are citizens of the United States with Bulgarian heritage. For the 2000 US Census, 55,489 Americans indicated Bulgarian as their first ancestry, while 92,841 persons declared to have Bulgarian ancestry...
that the human material
Human capital
Human capitalis the stock of competencies, knowledge and personality attributes embodied in the ability to perform labor so as to produce economic value. It is the attributes gained by a worker through education and experience...
and the basis of Bulgarian population at the moment include one million Roma
Roma in Bulgaria
The Roma in Bulgaria are the country's second largest minority and third largest ethnic group . According to the 2001 census, there were 370,908 Roma in Bulgaria, equivalent to 4.7% of the country's total population, making Bulgaria the European country with the highest percentage of Roma.Experts'...
, 700,000 Turks
Turks in Bulgaria
The Turks in Bulgaria number 588,318 people and constitute 8.8% of those who declared their ethnic group and 8.0% of the total population according to the 2011 Bulgarian census. 605,802 persons or 9.1% of the population pointed Turkish language as their mother tongue. They are also the largest...
and 2.5 million retirees. He added that the human material that they are left with as voters and as a pool for recruiting staff is really not that big, as half a million people have left Bulgaria. Vice-president of the Party of European Socialists
Party of European Socialists
The Party of European Socialists is a European political party led by Sergei Stanishev, former Prime Minister of Bulgaria. The PES comprises social-democratic national-level political parties primarily from Member state of the European Union, as well as other nations of the European continent. The...
, Jan Marinus Wiersma
Jan Marinus Wiersma
Jan Marinus Wiersma is a Dutch politician and from 1994-2009 Member of the European Parliament. He is a member of the Labour Party, vice-chair of the Party of European Socialists group, and sits on the European Parliament's Committee on Foreign Affairs.He was also a member of the Subcommittee on...
, accused Borisov of referring "to the Turks, Roma and pensioners in Bulgaria as "bad human material," and claimed that GERB "has already crossed the invisible line between right wing populism and extremism."
Borisov has denied these accusations and in turn, he has accused the Bulgarian Socialist Party
Bulgarian Socialist Party
The Bulgarian Socialist Party is social-democratic political party in Bulgaria and successor to the Bulgarian Communist Party. The BSP is a member of the Party of European Socialists and Socialist International, and is currently led by Sergei Stanishev....
of attempting to discredit him. Borisov stated in a meeting with NGOs on 5 March 2009 that he intends to include representatives of the Roma ethnicity in all levels of government, including a potential minister, and has reached out to offer inclusivity to Bulgaria’s ethnic Turkish population; although these measures and proposals have been seen as politically empty.
Corruption Scandals and Connections with Organized Crime
In the early nineties, Boyko Borisov was accused by the magazine U.S. Congressional Quarterly (CQ) of being directly linked to the biggest mobsters in Bulgaria. "The most powerful politician in Bulgaria, Washington's newest ally in the global war on terror, is a close associate of known mobsters and linked to almost 30 unsolved murders in the Black Sea republic." CQ asserted.On 14 January 2011, journalists from the Bulgarian weekly newspaper Galeria distributed audio records of an alleged conversation between Borisov and Customs Agency Head Vanyo Tanov. The tapes reveal that Borisov instructed customs authorities to immediately stop their investigation of "Ledenika" brewery which had been suspected of illegal activities and tax crimes. Later those tapes were declared "manipulated" (not being able to tell if they were fake or not) by two independent examinations.
External links
|-