Georgi Sedefchov Parvanov (Bulgarian: Георги Седефчов Първанов) (born 28 June 1957) has been president of Bulgaria since 22 January 2002. Parvanov became president after defeating his predecessor, Petar Stoyanov, in the second round of the November 2001 presidential election.
Views
He is in favour of Bulgarian membership of NATO and the European Union. He identifies himself as a socialist but left the Bulgarian Socialist Party after he had been elected president, as the president is not allowed to be a political party member.
On election, his programme was to be a 'social' president, with care towards poor, unemployed and disadvantaged people. Parvanov helped in the creation of a three-party coalition composed of socialists (BSP), liberals (NDSV) and ethnic Turks (DPS) which formed government on August 16, 2005.
Education
Mathematics college in Pernik: 1975
M.A. in History, St. Kliment Ohridski Sofia University: 1981
PhD in History: 1988
Professional career
Joined the Institute of History of the Bulgarian Communist Party as researcher: 1981
Main interest: the Bulgarian national issue and the early history of social democracy in Bulgaria
Senior Research Associate: 1989
Member of the Internet Society of Bulgaria since May 2001
Political career
Member of the Bulgarian Communist Party since 1981 (renamed to Bulgarian Socialist Party, BSP in 1990)
Deputy Chairman of the BSP Supreme Council: 1994
Chairman of the BSP Supreme Council: 1996
Re-elected Chairman of the BSP Supreme Council: 2000
Member of Parliament: 1994–2001
Chairman of the Parliamentary Group for Friendship with Greece and member of the Parliamentary Committee on Radio and Television: 1994–1997
Chairman of the Parliamentary Group of the Democratic Left and the Parliamentary Group of Coalition for Bulgaria: 1997–2001
Elected President of the Republic of Bulgaria: November 2001. Took office: 22 January 2002.
Ran for re-election in 2006. Won the first round with 65 per cent of the vote on October 22. As turnout was less than 50%, he faced ultranationalist Volen Siderov at the runoff on October 29. Parvanov won with more than 75 per cent of the vote. |