Mihail Mikov

Mihail Mikov
Leader of the Socialist Party
In office
27 July 2014  8 May 2016
Preceded by Sergei Stanishev
Succeeded by Korneliya Ninova
Chairperson of the National Assembly
In office
21 May 2013  6 August 2014
Preceded by Tsetska Tsacheva
Succeeded by Tsetska Tsacheva
Minister of Interior
In office
24 April 2008  27 July 2009
Prime Minister Sergei Stanishev
Preceded by Rumen Petkov
Succeeded by Tsvetan Tsvetanov
Personal details
Born (1960-06-16) 16 June 1960
Kula, Bulgaria
Political party

Bulgarian Communist Party (before 1990)

Bulgarian Socialist Party (after 1990)
Occupation Jurist, Politician
Website www.mmikov.com

Mihail Raykov Mikov (Bulgarian: Михаил Райков Миков; born 16 June 1960) is a Bulgarian politician who was Chairman of the Bulgarian Socialist Party (BSP) from 2014 to 2016. He is a parliamentarian with six consecutive terms as a deputy in the National Assembly.[1] His career in the legislature culminated in his election as Chairman of the 42nd National Assembly on May 21, 2013.[2] Mikov was Minister of Interior from 24 April 2008 to 29 July 2009 in Sergei Stanishev's government.[3] Currently he is the leader of the Parliamentary Group of BSP Left Bulgaria in the 43rd National Assembly, the coalition led by the socialist party. Mihail Mikov was elected as Chairman of the BSP on 27 July 2014, succeeding Sergei Stanishev.[4] He won a run-off against outgoing Economy and Energy Minister Dragomir Stoynev with a final tally of 377-333.[5]

Early life and education

Mikov was born in the Bulgarian town of Kula, Vidin Province, on June 16, 1960.[1] He graduated from the Faculty of Law of the Sofia University where he later taught criminal law. Mikov has postgraduate specializations in Human rights, NGO taxation, Anticorruption Practices. He is fluent in French, Russian and Serbian. Mikov is married with two children.

Political career

Socialist

Mihail Mikov became a member of the Bulgarian Communist Party and after the democratic changes in Bulgaria in 1989 – a member of its successor, the Bulgarian Socialist Party. In the last parliamentary elections, held on October 5, 2014, BSP scored its lowest results since the restoration of the multiparty system. The new leadership under Mikov has stated the following goals:

Lawmaker

The leader of the Bulgarian socialists is acknowledged for his career as a jurist and a lawmaker. As an academic he consulted the authors of many bills and laws adopted by parliaments starting from the Grand National Assembly, including the present Bulgarian Constitution. He was elected for his first term in 1997 and became deputy from Vidin. In parliament he initiated constitutional and criminal law changes including such restricting the immunity of lawmakers, judges and prosecutors, creating the institution of Ombudsman and improving the accountability of the higher judicial bodies before the national legislature. Other reforms he co-authored lead to the abolition of the death penalty and criminalization of computer crimes.

Minister of Interior

Mihail Mikov was appointed Minister of interior in the BSP lead government of Sergei Stanishev and occupied that post from April 2008 to July 2009.[3] In that executive role he undertook several reforms including the creation of a special department to fight organized crime. Mikov revealed the staff of the Ministry of Internal Affairs for the first time since the start of the democratic changes in Bulgaria – a move that many NGOs insisted on and which is a normal practice across the EU. Among his priorities were:

Chairman of National Assembly

Mihail Mikov as Chairman of the 42nd National Assembly - 2013.

Mikov was elected Chairman of the 42nd National Assembly on May 21, 2013 and occupied that post until August 5, 2014.[2]

Priorities

Initiatives

Positions and controversies

During protests, provoked by the nomination of Delyan Peevski for chairman of the State Agency for National Security Mihail Mikov made a special address to the nation on June 26, 2013 in which he criticized mass media for increasing tension by their covering of the antigovernment protests. Mikov’s remarks provoked a strong reaction from the press and the electronic media. Many of them signed a declaration in which they rejected any political and institutional attempts to influence freedom of speech and their editorial independence.

In October 2013 students from the Sofia University met Mikov in his cabinet after protesting inside the parliament’s building.[8] Later they quoted him as saying that he “doesn’t care for those protesting” against the government. The chairmen of the National Assembly told them that he had been elected by voters for several terms and that in parliament deputies represent the sovereign as a whole and not a certain number of people.

In an interview around the premature end of his term as head of Bulgarian Parliament Mihail Mikov stated that he does not consider the mandate of the government and the ruling majority to be a failure. “That was a parliament of the necessary social decisions, of increased parliamentary control over the government… a parliament of the possible majority, born by the elections in May 2013”, he said quoted by the daily “Pressa”.

Chairman of BSP

Mihail Mikov, elected Chairman of BSP - July 27, 2014.

Mihail Mikov was elected Chairman of BSP on July 27, 2014, succeeding Sergei Stanishev who lead the socialists for 13 years.[9] He won a run-off against outgoing Economy and Energy Minister Dragomir Stoynev with a final tally of 377-333. There were 16 invalid ballots and 36 delegates decided not to vote.[5]

Elections 2014

The snap parliamentary elections on October 5, 2014 left the Bulgarian Socialist Party, and its coalition – BSP Left Bulgaria, with its weakest results since the start of the democratic changes in Bulgaria. BSP won 15,4% in a vote marked by low voters’ turnout – just above 48%.[10] At a pressconference after polls were closed Mihail Mikov admitted election defeat and pointed out that the party that won the most votes – the center-right GERB, now had the responsibility to form government.

On several rounds of consultations on the new government BSP highlighted its differences with GERB and announced it was to remain in opposition to the right lead majority in the new parliament[11] and the future Ministerial Council.[12] Although different opinions were heard, including those of some leading representatives of the Socialist Party, Mikov and the majority of the party’s governing bodies maintained that opposing the center-right government was the right move.

43rd National Assembly

On October 5, 2014 Mihail Mikov was elected to the 43rd National Assembly from two election districts – in Sofia, and in Vidin, where he traditionally runs for office. The leader of the Socialist party chose to become deputy from the capital. On October 27, 2014 he was elected leader of the Parliamentary Group of BSP Left Bulgaria.

References

  1. 1 2 "Who is Who: Mihail Mikov, New Chair of Bulgarian Socialist Party". Novinite.com. Sofia News Agency. Retrieved 29 July 2014.
  2. 1 2 "National Assembly of the Republic of Bulgaria - Presiding Body".
  3. 1 2 "Republic of Bulgaria Council of Ministers".
  4. "Михаил Миков е новият председател на БСП".
  5. 1 2 "Mihail Mikov Elected Chair of Bulgarian Socialist Party". Novinite.com. Sofia News Agency. Retrieved 29 July 2014.
  6. "Bulgarian Socialist Party to Announce Top-Level Reshuffle". http://www.novinite.com. Novinite.com. Retrieved 7 November 2014. External link in |website= (help)
  7. "Serbia, Bulgaria "wish to intensify cooperation" - speakers". http://www.b92.net. b92. Retrieved 23 July 2013. External link in |website= (help)
  8. "Bulgarian Students to MPs: 'Aren't You Ashamed?'". http://www.novinite.com. Novinite.com. Retrieved 18 October 2013. External link in |website= (help)
  9. "Mihail Mikov is the new leader of the Bulgarian Socialist Party.". http://bnt.bg. Bulgarian National Television. Retrieved 28 July 2014. External link in |website= (help)
  10. "Bulgaria's 2014 parliamentary election: CEC announces final results". Sofia Globe. Retrieved 9 October 2014.
  11. "New Parliament to Hold Its First Sitting on October 27". http://www.bta.bg. BTA. Retrieved 15 October 2014. External link in |website= (help)
  12. "Bulgaria's Socialists to Be Fierce Opposition in Parliament – BSP Chair". http://www.novinite.com. Novinite.com. Retrieved 7 November 2014. External link in |website= (help)
Political offices
Preceded by
Rumen Petkov
Minister of Interior
2008–2009
Succeeded by
Tsvetan Tsvetanov
Preceded by
Tsetska Tsacheva
Chairperson of the National Assembly
2013–2014
Succeeded by
Tsetska Tsacheva
Party political offices
Preceded by
Sergei Stanishev
Leader of the Socialist Party
2014–present
Incumbent
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