Georgi Parvanov was President of Bulgaria from 2002 to 2012. He was elected after defeating his predecessor Petar Stoyanov in the second round of the presidential election in November 2001 and he took office on January 22, 2002. Georgi Parvanov started his second presidential mandate following victory in the 2006 presidential election. Parvanov supports membership of Bulgaria in NATO and the European Union.
Career
After the graduation of University Parvanov was sent to the Institute of History of the Bulgarian Communist Party to work as a researcher and he simultaneously enters the Bulgarian Socialist Party (BSP). In 1989, a year earlier, having defended doctoral thesis on history became a senior research worker. There were historical researches on early social-democratic movement in Bulgaria. Being very much aware of issues of creating the parties he was able to become a true leader and organizer of the Socialist Party in the new political environment. Humanitarian education and great erudition were most welcome.
Parvanov’s political service record is quite an extensive.
Politics
Parvanov managed to make the main thing - to establish constructive cooperation with the government and restore relations with Prime Minister Simeon Saxe-Coburg-Gotha - the former king of the country. Thereby executive and legislative branches were strengthened.
On assuming the presidency, Mr. Parvanov said that he intends to promote "the acceleration of negotiations on Euro-Atlantic integration" of the country. National interests should be above the interests of the party. Even before the election he was able to develop good rapport with the Turkish minority talking against forcible change of the names of the Bulgarian Turks. This allowed the president to be to get at election over half a million extra votes.
The President did a lot and does for the restoration of former relations with the countries of Former Soviet Union, improving church-state relations in Bulgaria, strengthening the role of Orthodoxy in the society. Thanks to his effort the process of Bulgaria's entry to the EU and NATO was accelerated. The forthcoming membership of the European Union is also undoubted stimulus for development and clear landmark is in the economic processes.
Mr Parvanov intends to “be the president of all Bulgarians, irrespective of their nationality, religion or political beliefs”.
Nevertheless, they couldn’t do without the "shock therapy". The construction of market economy in some areas increased social tension and the unemployment rate. There aren’t enough economic resources to solve all social problems.
Due to the lowering of voters’ confidence Parvanov party lost parliamentary elections. The participation of Bulgaria in NATO peacekeeping force in Iraq made the situation worse: the Bulgarian battalion suffered losses, moreover Bulgarian hostage was executed. President had to make much effort to calm popular indignation. He even tried and personally went to Iraq, to the location of the Bulgarian battalion without proper support. And his helmet and body armor saved him.
Parvanov's political views have changed considerably - before (during the bombing of Yugoslavia), he called NATO soldiers “Nazis” and “murderers”. Now he is one of the ardent supporters of the military policy of NATO. And after his visit to Iraq Bulgarian contingent may increase from one to two battalions, on the president’s initiative.
Georgi Parvanov definitely - brave man. He knows how to take a punch when he is beaten, know how to make somebody responsible, but also how to be responsible, and always try to negotiate to avoid a quarrel, always, if it is possible, uses reasonable compromise. No wonder journalists often call him “the jeweler of diplomacy”.