Sergei Stanishev

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Sergei Stanishev bigraphy, stories - Bulgarian politician

Sergei Stanishev : biography

May 5, 1966 –

Early life, education and career

Stanishev was born in 1966, in Kherson, Ukrainian SSR (Soviet Union). He attended Moscow State University, where he received his bachelor’s degree in 1989, and his PhD in 1994, both in the field of history. His doctoral thesis was entitled “The system of service promotion of high ranking officials in Russia and its evolution during the second half of XIX century”. In 1998, he specialized in political sciences at Moscow School of political studies. He was a visiting fellow in international relations at the London School of Economics and Political Science in 1999-2000. He also worked as a freelance journalist. In 1995 he became a staff member in the Foreign Affairs Department of the BSP. He was Chief of Foreign Policy and International Relations for the BSP from 1996 to 2001. In May 2000 he was elected a Member of the BSP Supreme Council and Member of the Executive Bureau. In June 2001, he entered the politics, when he was elected as a member of the Bulgarian National Assembly from the region of Ruse.

Personal life

Stanishev lived from 1994-2009 with prominent journalist Elena Yoncheva. In 2002 he amazed party members when he came to a gathering at Buzludzha on a motorcycle with a rock-style jacket that had a label on the back saying: "If you are reading this, Elena must have fallen off on the way." The pair did not have any children.

In 2011, PR agent Monika Yosifova announced that she was having a baby by Stanishev.. novinite.com, February 22, 2011. Their daughter Daria was born on May 1, 2011.. novinite.com, May 1, 2011. Yosifova is a divorcee who has two other children by her ex-husband Ventsislav Yosifov.. novinite.com, February 25, 2011. He married Monika in May 2013 , Nova TV, May 20, 2013.

Political career

Chairmanship of the Bulgarian Socialist Party

Prime minister

In the general election of June 25, 2005, Stanishev was re-elected to the National Assembly, this time for a seat in Burgas. Under his leadership the Coalition for Bulgaria (a coalition dominated by the BSP) won 31% of the votes. Stanishev said that the next government "should be led by the party which won most votes in the elections." On 20 July, after nearly a month of political uncertainty, Stanishev agreed to attempt to form a Cabinet. On July 27, 2005 the Bulgarian Parliament chose him as the new Prime Minister in a coalition government, led by the Bulgarian Socialist Party and National Movement Simeon II in a partnership with the Movement for Rights and Freedoms. The vote was 120 to 119. However, the parliament voted against Stanishev’s proposed Cabinet by 119 to 117 votes.

This was followed by another two weeks of political deadlock. Finally on August 15 Stanishev was able to form a three-party grand coalition with the party of outgoing Prime Minister Simeon Sakskoburggotski and with the Movement for Rights and Freedoms, a Turkish minority party. Stanishev said the coalition’s priorities would be "European integration, social responsibility and economic growth." He was elected Prime Minister by the Bulgarian parliament on August 16 with 168 in favour and 67 against. On August 17, 2005, with an official ceremony on 1 Dondukov Boulevard, Sergei Stanishev took office as Prime Minister.

Sergei Stanishev is an avid pro-EU politician who is credited with reforming Bulgaria to the extent that he managed to steer his country to be among the last group of countries which joined the EU. The ex-Bulgarian Prime Minister Sergei Stanishev had said Bulgaria’s EU entrance was the final fall of the Berlin Wall for his nation. EU President Jose’ Manuel Barroso had hailed Stanishev for having made enough progress for Bulgaria to join the union.

The European Commission’s report on Bulgaria and Romania’s accession had confirmed that after seven years of talks, Bulgaria and Romania were able to take on the rights and obligations of EU membership. Reading the report, Mr Barroso said the two nations’ entry would be a "historic achievement".