Rosen Plevneliev | |
|---|---|
| Росен Плевнелиев | |
.JPG) Official portrait, 2012 | |
| 4th President of Bulgaria | |
| In office 22 January 2012 – 22 January 2017 | |
| Prime Minister | See list |
| Vice President | Margarita Popova |
| Preceded by | Georgi Parvanov |
| Succeeded by | Rumen Radev |
| Minister of Regional Development and Public Works | |
| In office 27 July 2009 – 9 September 2011 | |
| Prime Minister | Boyko Borisov |
| Preceded by | Asen Gagauzov |
| Succeeded by | Lilyana Pavlova |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Rosen Asenov Plevneliev (1964-05-14)14 May 1964 (age 60) Gotse Delchev,PR Bulgaria |
| Political party | Independent(since 1989) |
| Other political affiliations |
|
| Spouses | Veronika Kavrakova (divorced) |
| Children | Phillip, Asen, Pavel, Yoan |
| Alma mater | Technical University, Sofia |
| Occupation |
|
| Awards | Order of the Southern Cross |
Rosen Asenov Plevneliev (Bulgarian:Росен Асенов Плевнелиев, born 14 May 1964) is a Bulgarian politician who served as the 4thPresident of Bulgaria from 2012 to 2017. Affiliated with theGERB party, he previously served as Minister of Regional Development and Public Works from 2009 to 2011.[1][2]
Rosen Plevneliev was born inGotse Delchev. His mother, Slavka Plevnelieva, was a teacher, and his father, Asen Plevneliev, was an activist of theCommunist Party.[3] He relocated toBlagoevgrad alongside his parents when he turned 10 years old.[4] His family descended fromBulgarian refugees from southernMacedonia who resettled from today's village of Petrousa in the municipality ofProsotsani inDrama regional unit,Greek Macedonia, in 1913. The Plevneliev family name refers to the Bulgarian name of the villagePetroussa, Plevnya (Плевня, "barn").[5]
Plevneliev studied atBlagoevgrad Mathematical and Natural Sciences High School, from which he graduated in 1982. In 1989 he graduated from theHigher Mechanical-Electrotechnical Institute,Sofia, and in the same year become a fellow at the Institute for Microprocessing Technology,Pravets.[6] While studying in the university, he was aKomsomol member of theBulgarian Communist Party.[7]After the political changes, in 1990, Plevneliev started a private building company in Bulgaria.[8] Among other projects, the company built theSofia Business Park.
He was married to the journalistYuliyana Plevnelieva from 2000 until their divorce in 2017; they had three sons: Filip, Asen and Pavel. One of the sons, Filip, died in 2015 at the age of 14.[9] In addition to his nativeBulgarian, he speaksEnglish andGerman fluently.[10]
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Plevneliev became Minister of Regional Development and Public Works under Deputy Prime MinisterSimeon Djankov on 27 July 2009. Minister Plevneliev was one of a handful of "reformers" in the government, together with Deputy Prime MinisterSimeon Djankov, the Minister of EconomyTraicho Traikov and the Minister of Environment Nona Karadzhova.
He was announced asGERB's candidate forPresident of Bulgaria on 4 September 2011.[11] He subsequently won thepresidential election in a second round held on 30 October 2011, with a majority of 52.58% of the vote.[12] He defeatedIvaylo Kalfin from theBulgarian Socialist Party in the second round. He took the presidential oath on 19 January 2012 and officially took over from his predecessorGeorgi Parvanov on 22 January 2012. Among his priorities are administrative reforms, energy efficiency and energy independence and removing of ambassadors of Bulgaria in foreign countries who have served as secret agents during the Communist regime.
As a result of the2013 Bulgarian protests against monopoly and high electricity prices, the conservative government of Prime MinisterBoyko Borisov tendered its resignation on 20 February 2013. President Plevneliev, acting in accordance with the constitution, offered a mandate to form a new government within the term of the current Parliament toGERB,BSP andDPS but after each of them declined, Plevneliev appointed a caretaker government on 13 March 2013, withMarin Raykov, the Bulgarian ambassador in Paris as Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs.[13]
In 2013, due to the prolonged protests against the involvement of oligarchy in politics and the government, Plevneliev organised the 'Dialogue with citizens' initiative, which involved three debates, focused on market economy, the judicial system and media freedom.[14]
Plevneliev advocates for closer relations between Bulgaria and thePeople's Republic of China.[15][16]
Plevneliev has frequently criticized the immigration policy in the UK set by the former Prime Minister,David Cameron.[17]
By appointing theBliznashki Government on 6 August 2014, Plevneliev has become the first President of Bulgaria to appoint more than onecaretaker government.
In October 2022, Rosen Plevneliev was invited by GERB to become head of a contact group for cabinet talks, formed by the party.[18] He accepted the invitation. The contact group held meetings with all the pro-European and democratic forces within the 48th National Assembly. However the negotiations ended with no agreement reached.
A year later, in September 2023, Plevneliev along with the ex-Minister of Foreign Affairs and President of the Atlantic Club of BulgariaSolomon Passy and a number of other opinion leaders and public figures issued a public statement, proposing that Bulgaria's EU and NATO membership be included in theConstitution of Bulgaria.
In January 2014 the tax authorities launched an investigation on President Rosen Plevneliev and his relatives. This action was perceived as politically motivated assault by theOresharski Government.[19] Other reformist members of theBoyko Borisov government were also subject to such investigations.
Greece: Grand Collar of theOrder of the Redeemer (4 July 2012)[20]
Poland:Order of the White Eagle (14 November 2014)[21]
Portugal: Grand Collar of theOrder of Prince Henry (15 June 2015)[22]
Slovakia: Grand Cross of theOrder of the White Double Cross (10 December 2015)[23]
Brazil: Grand Collar of theOrder of the Southern Cross (1 February 2016)[24]
Cyprus: Grand Collar of theOrder of Makarios III (22 February 2016)[25]
Austria: Grand Star of theDecoration of Honour for Services to the Republic of Austria (26 April 2016)[26]
Albania:Honor of the Nation Decoration (1 June 2016)[27]
Germany: Grand Cross Special Class of theOrder of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany (22 June 2016)[28]
Ukraine: First Class of theOrder of Prince Yaroslav the Wise (29 June 2016)[29]
Slovenia:Order for Exceptional Merits (25 July 2016)[30]
Italy: Knight Grand Cross with Collar of theOrder of Merit of the Italian Republic (4 August 2016)[31]
Croatia:Grand Order of King Tomislav (25 August 2016)[32]
Moldova:Order of the Republic (5 October 2016)[33]
Hungary: Grand Cross with Chain of theHungarian Order of Merit (10 November 2016)[34]
Romania: Collar of theOrder of the Star of Romania (2016)
Malta: Companion of Honour of theNational Order of Merit (17 November 2016)[35]
Montenegro: Grand Cross of theOrder of the Republic of Montenegro (20 December 2016)[36]
France: Commander of theLegion of Honour (15 November 2018)[38]
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Minister of Regional Development and Public Works 2009–2011 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | President of Bulgaria 2012–2017 | Succeeded by |
First Borisov Cabinet (2009-2013) | ||
|---|---|---|
 | ||
