.mw-parser-output .hidden-begin{box-sizing:border-box;width:100%;padding:5px;border:none;font-size:95%}.mw-parser-output .hidden-title{font-weight:bold;line-height:1.6;text-align:left}.mw-parser-output .hidden-content{text-align:left}You can help expand this article with text translated from the corresponding article in Bulgarian. (June 2013) Click [show] for important translation instructions. View a machine-translated version of the Bulgarian article. Machine translation, like DeepL or Google Translate, is a useful starting point for translations, but translators must revise errors as necessary and confirm that the translation is accurate, rather than simply copy-pasting machine-translated text into the English Wikipedia. Consider adding a topic to this template: there are already 276 articles in the main category, and specifying|topic= will aid in categorization. Do not translate text that appears unreliable or low-quality. If possible, verify the text with references provided in the foreign-language article. You must provide copyright attribution in the edit summary accompanying your translation by providing an interlanguage link to the source of your translation. A model attribution edit summary is Content in this edit is translated from the existing Bulgarian Wikipedia article at [[:bg:Михаил Миков]]; see its history for attribution. You should also add the template ((Translated|bg|Михаил Миков)) to the talk page. For more guidance, see Wikipedia:Translation.
You can help expand this article with text translated from the corresponding article in Polish. (July 2013) Click [show] for important translation instructions. View a machine-translated version of the Polish article. Machine translation, like DeepL or Google Translate, is a useful starting point for translations, but translators must revise errors as necessary and confirm that the translation is accurate, rather than simply copy-pasting machine-translated text into the English Wikipedia. Do not translate text that appears unreliable or low-quality. If possible, verify the text with references provided in the foreign-language article. You must provide copyright attribution in the edit summary accompanying your translation by providing an interlanguage link to the source of your translation. A model attribution edit summary is Content in this edit is translated from the existing Polish Wikipedia article at [[:pl:Michaił Mikow]]; see its history for attribution. You should also add the template ((Translated|pl|Michaił Mikow)) to the talk page. For more guidance, see Wikipedia:Translation.
Mihail Mikov
Михаил Миков
Mikov in 2015
Leader of the Bulgarian Socialist Party
In office
27 July 2014 – 8 May 2016
Preceded bySergei Stanishev
Succeeded byKorneliya Ninova
Speaker of the National Assembly
In office
21 May 2013 – 6 August 2014
Preceded byTsetska Tsacheva
Succeeded byTsetska Tsacheva
Minister of Interior
In office
24 April 2008 – 27 July 2009
Prime MinisterSergei Stanishev
Preceded byRumen Petkov
Succeeded byTsvetan Tsvetanov
Member of the National Assembly
In office
14 July 2009 – 26 January 2017
Constituency5th MMC - Vidin
(2009-2014)
25th MMC - Sofia
(2014-2017)
In office
7 May 1997 – 24 April 2008
Constituency5th MMC - Vidin
Personal details
Born (1960-06-16) 16 June 1960 (age 63)
Kula, Bulgaria
Political partyCommunist Party (Before 1990)
Socialist Party (1990–present)
WebsiteOfficial website

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]

On May 8, 2016, Mikov was defeated 395-349 in a runoff vote by Korneliya Ninova for the leadership of the party.[6]

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]

Initiatives

Positions and controversies

During the 2013–14 Bulgarian protests against the Oresharski cabinet, 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.[citation needed]

In October 2013 students from the Sofia University met Mikov in his cabinet after protesting inside the parliament's building.[9] 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".[citation needed]

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.[10] 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%.[11] 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[12] and the future Ministerial Council.[13] 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. ^ a b "Who is Who: Mihail Mikov, New Chair of Bulgarian Socialist Party". Novinite.com. Sofia News Agency. Retrieved 29 July 2014.
  2. ^ a b "National Assembly of the Republic of Bulgaria - Presiding Body".
  3. ^ a b "Republic of Bulgaria Council of Ministers".
  4. ^ "Михаил Миков е новият председател на БСП".
  5. ^ a b "Mihail Mikov Elected Chair of Bulgarian Socialist Party". Novinite.com. Sofia News Agency. Retrieved 29 July 2014.
  6. ^ "Who Is Who: Korneliya Ninova, New Head of Bulgaria's Socialists". novinite.com. Sofia News Agency. 9 May 2016. Retrieved 27 May 2019.
  7. ^ "Bulgarian Socialist Party to Announce Top-Level Reshuffle". www.novinite.com. Novinite.com. Retrieved 7 November 2014.
  8. ^ "Serbia, Bulgaria "wish to intensify cooperation" - speakers". www.b92.net. b92. Retrieved 23 July 2013.
  9. ^ "Bulgarian Students to MPs: 'Aren't You Ashamed?'". www.novinite.com. Novinite.com. Retrieved 18 October 2013.
  10. ^ "Mihail Mikov is the new leader of the Bulgarian Socialist Party". www.bnt.bg. Bulgarian National Television. Archived from the original on 2 April 2015. Retrieved 28 July 2014.
  11. ^ "Bulgaria's 2014 parliamentary election: CEC announces final results". Sofia Globe. Retrieved 9 October 2014.
  12. ^ "New Parliament to Hold Its First Sitting on October 27". www.bta.bg. BTA. Retrieved 15 October 2014.
  13. ^ "Bulgaria's Socialists to Be Fierce Opposition in Parliament – BSP Chair". www.novinite.com. Novinite.com. Retrieved 7 November 2014.
Political offices Preceded byRumen Petkov Minister of Interior 2008–2009 Succeeded byTsvetan Tsvetanov Preceded byTsetska Tsacheva Chair of the National Assembly 2013–2014 Succeeded byTsetska Tsacheva Party political offices Preceded bySergei Stanishev Leader of the Socialist Party 2014–2016 Succeeded byKorneliya Ninova