George Ganchev

Background

Petroushev was born on August 29, 1939 in Plovdiv.

Education

He studied at the Sports Academy in Bulgaria. He graduated from the British Academy of Fencing (where he also served as the head coach of the London Fencing Club from 1968-1973) and the Hollywood Theatrical Institute.

Career

Some sources put the year in which he became an expatriate as 1967. Afterwords he committed himself to directing, play-writing, film and play producing in Great Britain and the United States. After Todor Zhivkov was removed from power on November 10, 1989, Ganchev returned to Bulgaria and took part in founding the Union of Democratic Forces (Study Direct Stream).

He later founded the Bulgarian Business Bloc in 1990 and was elected its chairman.

Ganchev ran for president the following year with Petar Beron (ex-leader of the Study Direct Stream) as his running mate. The Bulgarian Business Bloc had a breakthrough in the 1994 parliamentary elections, winning 4.7% of the popular vote and winning 13 seats.

Ganchev ran again for president in 1996, this time with Arlin Antonov as his running mate. They finished 3rd, but with 21.9% of the popular vote this time.

Before the 2001 parliamentary elections he left to form a new party, George Ganchev"s Bloc, but the new party was a failure, winning only 17,272 (038%) votes.

However, the new party had clearly eclipsed the old BBB. His old party polled only 162 votes! The BBB disbanded later that year. Ganchev ran for president a third and final time in 2001 but finished 5th with only 3.4% of the popular vote. His new party disbanded soon after and Ganchev retired from his political career.

Ganchev was the writer, producer & Military Cross of “George in Action” that aired on Bulgarian television from 2000 to 2005.

Achievements

• Ganchev was also World Professional Fencing Champion in 1970 and 1974. In the 1997 parliamentary elections the BBB won 4.9% of the vote, but was down to only 12 seats.

Politics

Political The party contested the 1991 parliamentary elections but won only 73,379 votes (13%). Failing to cross the 4% electoral threshold. They finished 3rd with 16.8% of the popular vote.

Behind the Study Direct Stream candidate (and winner) Zhelyu Zhelev and the socialist endorsed Velko Valkanov. However, he founded a National Patriotic Union (Bulgarian: Национално патриотично обединение) in 2004 and the new political entity participated in the 2005 Parliamentary election as part of the Coalition of the Rose (Bulgarian: Коалиция на розата), though it was unable to cross the 4% threshold. In 2012, he returned to politics once again, reviving his National Patriotic Union.

Membership

Ganchev was elected as a Member of Parliament (sitting from 1995-2001).