Valeri Simeonov
Валери Симеонов
Deputy Prime Minister of Bulgaria
In office
4 May 2017 – 16 November 2018
Prime MinisterBoyko Borisov
Preceded byStefan Yanev
Succeeded byMariyana Nikolova
Personal details
Born (1955-03-14) 14 March 1955 (age 68)
Dolni Chiflik, Bulgaria
Political partyNFSB (since 2011)
Other political
affiliations
Children2
Parent
  • Simeon Balevski (father)
Alma materTechnical University
Occupation

Valeri Simeonov Simeonov (Bulgarian: Валери Симеонов Симеонов; born 14 March 1955) is a Bulgarian politician who is one of the leaders and founding members of the National Front for the Salvation of Bulgaria.[1][2]

Biography

Born in Dolni Chiflik, Simeonov has a degree in electrical engineering from TU-Sofia.[3]

In the 1990s he founded the SKAT cable network in the city of Burgas. As was customary for Bulgarian cable networks at the time, the SKAT company soon started its own TV channels. The cable TV network is currently one of the main competitors in Southwestern Bulgaria.[4]

He was associated with the Attack party through his SKAT TV, but left the party and withdrew his support from Volen Siderov in November 2009.[5]

In 2017 he was appointed head of the Bulgarian Council on Ethnic Minority Integration, which deals with the local Turkish and Romani minorities.[6] He once referred to Roma as “feral humanoids.”[7]

Simeonov served as the Deputy Prime Minister of Bulgaria in charge of economy and demographic policies as part of the Borisov cabinet until his resignation on 16 November 2018 following a public outcry and protests that resulted from a controversial statement he had made on 19 October 2018 regarding the mothers of children with disabilities.[8]

References

  1. ^ "Национален фронт за спасение на България". omda.bg. 2014. Retrieved 20 September 2014.
  2. ^ "Валери Симеонов обяви, че НФСБ ще иска касиране на изборите". mediapool.bg. 14 May 2013. Retrieved 20 September 2014.
  3. ^ "Валери Симеонов: не ме интересува дали се готви преврат срещу Волен". novinar.bg. 16 September 2011. Retrieved 20 September 2014.
  4. ^ "Телевизия СКАТ". Predavatel.com. Retrieved 9 July 2017.
  5. ^ "Волен Сидеров окончателно отцепен от телевизия "Скат". mediapool.bg. 10 November 2009. Retrieved 20 September 2014.
  6. ^ "Bulgaria: Chair of the Council on Ethnic Minority Integration is now right-wing extremist Valeri Simeonov". romea.cz. 28 May 2017. Retrieved 4 July 2017.
  7. ^ Kingsley, Patrick; Dzhambazova, Boryana (6 July 2020). "Europe's Roma Already Faced Discrimination. The Pandemic Made It Worse". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 7 July 2020.
  8. ^ Sasheva, Velina (16 November 2018). "Валери Симеонов подаде оставка, Борисов я прие (ВИДЕО)". nova.bg. Retrieved 20 May 2020.
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