PRIME MINISTER DESIGNATE SIMEON Saxe-Coburg
Son of King Boris III (House of Saxe-Coburg) and Queen Ioanna (House of Savoy), King Simeon II was born in Sofia on June 16, 1937. As heir to the throne, the Prince of Tirnovo spent his early childhood with his parents and elder sister Marie-Louise in the palace of Vrana, near Sofia, where he began school. Upon King Boris` sudden death on August 28, 1943, he acceded to the throne as King Simeon II and, being a minor, as required by the Turnovo Constitution, three-member Council of Regency was formed. Following the communist coup in September 1944, His Majesty stayed on the throne, though his uncle and regent, Prince Kyril, together with the other two regents and most of the country`s leaders and intellectuals were executed. On September 6, 1946 a rigged monarchy-or-a-republic referendum was held under the threat of the Soviet Army units stationed at the same time in Bulgaria. Without abdicating, King Simeon left Bulgaria with his family and a very small retinue. Via Istanbul, the royal exiles sailed to Alexandria where the young King went to Victoria college, a British school. In July 1951, the Spanish government granted asylum to the Bulgarian royal family, allowing them to settle in Madrid. Upon his coming of age on June 16, 1955, H. M. the King issued a proclamation of lasting political significance. A year later, Simeon II graduated from the Lyceum Franзoise in Madrid. In 1958, he enrolled in junior college at Valley Forge Military Academy in Pennsylvania as `cadet Rylski`, graduating the following year as second lieutenant. In addition to Bulgarian, Simeon II is fluent in English, French, German, Italian and Spanish, with a lesser knowledge of Arabic and Portuguese. His religion is Eastern Orthodoxy. In 1962, Simeon II married Dona Margarita Gomez-Acebo y Cejuela. They have five children: Kardam, Prince of Tirnovo. Born on December 2, 1963.The Pennsylvania State University, M.S. Agricultural Economics, 1989. Clark University, B.A. International Economics and Philosophy, 1986. Kyril, Prince of Preslav. Born on July 11, 1964. Princeton University, B. A. Physics and Corporate Finance, 1986. Married. Kubrat, Prince of Panagiurishte. Born on November 5, 1965. Universidad de Navarra, Pamplona, M. D. General Surgery, digestive system, 1990. Married. Konstantin-Assen, Prince of Vidin. Born on December 5, 1967. ICADE, Business Administration, 1990. Married. Kalina, Princess of Bulgaria. Born on January 19, 1972. High School. In May 1996, Simeon II received a standard registry number from the Sofia Municipality and got a passport as a Bulgarian national. In 1962-2001 Simeon Saxe-Coburg followed the world press, conducted correspondence and established a lot of contacts with the business circles all round the world. He is a member of the managing boards of companies in Europe and Africa - Omnium, the largest holding group in Morocco, sugar producer Consumar based in Casablanca, the Eurobuilding hotel chain, and other. Simeon II`s political career began with his address to the Bulgarian nation on April 6, 2001 in which he unveiled his intention to enter politics, to set up a national movement and run in the parliamentary elections. On April 8, 2001, he was elected leader of the Simeon II National Movement (SNM) established on the same day. In the June 17 elections the SNM garnered 43% of the vote, winning 120 seats in parliament. On June 23, 2001, the SNM parliamentary group unanimously decided to name Simeon II, Chairman of the SNM Council, prime minister; his official nomination was on July 12. The SNM coalition confirmed the nomination on July 13. On July 15, President Stoyanov gave Simeon a mandate to form a government. On July 20 the SNM and the Movement for Rights and Freedoms reached an agreement to form a coalition government.
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NIKOLAI Vassilev VASSILEV, 31, DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER, MINISTER OF ECONOMY
B. A. in economics awarded by the University of Economics of Budapest, Hungary, B. A. in business administration and another one in finances and economics from the State University of New York, Oswego, the US. Specialized tax policy and finances at the Keyo University of Tokyo, Japan in 1996-1997. M. A. in international economics and finances from Brandise University, Waltham, Massachusetts, the US. Worked at prestigious financial institutions. Senior vice president of Lasard Capital Markets since 2000.
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KOSTADIN Stoyanov PASKALEV, 40, DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER, MINISTER OF REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT AND PUBLIC WORKS
Graduated in mathematics from the Paissi Hilendarski University of Plovdiv. Mayor of Blagoevgrad since 1995. In 1997, was elected president of the National Association of Municipal in Bulgaria, which he represented at the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities with the Council of Europe in Strasbourg in 1998 and 1999.
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LIDIA Santova SHOULEVA, 45, DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER AND MINISTER OF LABOUR AND SOCIAL POLICY
Graduated from the Technical University of Sofia in electronic engineering. M.A. in finances from the University of National and World Economy. Took five specialization courses, including a course in marketing and finances at the Management Academy of Munich, one in management and finances in Japan, another one in managerial consulting in Greece under an European Union programme. Executive Director of Albena Invest Holding since 1996.
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NIKOLAI SVINAROV, 43, DEFENCE MINISTER
Graduated from St Kliment Ohridski University of Sofia. In 1985 finished the Reserve Officers School of Vratsa. In 1998-2001 was elected member and chief secretary of the Supreme Judicial Council. Began as a criminal lawyer, after 1990 specialized in civil and commercial law.
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SOLOMON PASSY, 45, FOREIGN MINISTER
Research associate in mathematical logics and computer sciences at St Kliment Ohridski University of Sofia and the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, visiting professor at Paul Sabatier University in Toulouse, France. In 1996-1999 was vice president of the Atlantic Treaty Association in Paris - the first vice president of the organization from an Eastern European country. President of The Atlantic Club of Bulgaria. Vice President of the SS Cyril and Methodius International Foundation. Member of the Grand National Assembly. Member of the 39th National Assembly.
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MILEN VELCHEV, 35, MINISTER OF FINANCE
Graduated in international relations from the University of National and World Economy. M. A. in economic management from the University of Rochester, New York. M.A. from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge. Worked at leading financial institutions, from 1999 to 2001 was vice president at Developing Markets Department with the Bank of London.
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GEORGI PETKANOV, 54, INTERIOR MINISTER
Graduated in law from St Kliment Ohridski University of Sofia. Specialist in financial and tax law. Worked as a lawyer since 1993. Arbitrator at the Court of Arbitration with the Bulgarian Chamber of Commerce and Industry since 1997. Dean of the Department of Law with St Kliment Ohridski University of Sofia in 1991-1995, then deputy rector of the same university. Chaired the Bulgarian Bar Association. Member of the Bureau of the International Association of Democratic Lawyers. Member of the Academic Council of St Kliment Ohridski University of Sofia since 1991, Chairman of the General Assembly of the same university, editor-in-chief of the `Modern Law` magazine.
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ANTON STANKOV, 35, MINISTER OF JUSTICE
Graduated in law from St Kliment Ohridski University of Sofia. Promoted to the position of Chairman of the Criminal Division of the Sofia City Court. Member of the Legal Commission of the Bulgarian Olympic Committee, part-time lecturer in criminal proceedings at St Kliment Ohridski University of Sofia.
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VLADIMIR ATANASSOV, 46, MINISTER OF EDUCATION AND SCIENCE
Graduated in Bulgarian philology in 1980. Author of studies, articles and monographs on education and Bulgarian literature. Author and co-author of text books, aids, and methodological guidebooks for secondary schools. Lecturer at the Slavonic Languages Department with St Kliment Ohridski University of Sofia.
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MEHMED DIKME, 35, MINISTER OF AGRICULTURE AND FORESTRY
Graduated from the Technology of Food Processing department with the Higher Institute of Food Processing of Plovdiv, specializing as a technology engineer. Took a course in marketing and management of food processing enterprises. Managerial experience in the food processing industry. Mayor of Ardino municipality, Kurdjali Region, since 1995. Elected to the 39th National Assembly on the list of the Movement for Rights and Freedoms (MRF). Member of the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities with the Council of Europe in Strasbourg since 2000.
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PLAMEN PETROV, 35, MINISTER OF TRANSPORT AND COMMUNICATIONS
Graduated in international economic relations from the University of National and World Economy, Sofia. B. A. in economics from Dr Harry Truman University, Missouri, the US. Studied at the University of Missouri, Columbia, under a programme for M. A. in economics. Awarded M.A. in international management from Thunderbird University, Arizona, US. Began his career at US banks. In 1999 set up a consortium for investment in the cable television and communications industry. Actively contributed to the development strategy of Cable Bulgaria.
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BOZHIDAR FINKOV, 53, MINISTER OF HEALTH
Graduated from the Academy of Medicine, Sofia. Specialize din invasive cardiology at the teaching hospitals of Prague (1984) and Frankfurt-on-Mein. Took brief specialization courses in Zurich, Geneva, Munich, Hamburg, Berlin, Leiden, Cliveland and Indianapolis. Authored over 60 studies in Bulgarian and foreign publications. Vice President of the Association of Cardiologists in Bulgaria, coordinator of the working group on coronary circulation and angioplasty with the European Cardiology Association since 1996.
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BOZHIDAR ABRASHEV, 65, MINISTER OF CULTURE
Graduated from Prof. Pancho Vladigerov State Academy of Music, specializing in composition. Member of the Union of Bulgarian Composers since 1967. Composed around 60 musical pieces - symphonic, chamber and vocal ones. One -f the co-founders of the Simeon II National Movement.
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DOLORES ARSENOVA, 37, MINISTER OF THE ENVIRONMENT AND WATERS
Graduated in pedagogy from St Kliment Ohridski University of Sofia and in law from the University of National and World Economy. Assistant at the Global and Regional Development Department of the Sociology Institute with the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences since 1999. Member of the Bulgarian Association of Sociology and the Union of scientists in Bulgaria. Chairs the Governing Board of the Hippocrates Non-Profit Association.
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DIMITER KALCHEV, 56, MINISTER OF STATE ADMINISTRATION
Graduated from the Higher Institute of Mechanical Engineering and Electrification, Rousse. Graduated as an extramural student from the Higher Economic Academy of Moscow, specializing in industrial management. In 1996 studied municipal finances management at the University of North Carolina, US. Member of the Executive Bureau of the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities with the Council of Europe in Strasbourg since 1996. Chairman of the National Association of Municipalities in Bulgaria in 1996-2000.
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NEDJET MOLLOV, 52, MINISTER WITHOUT PORTFOLIO
Graduated in mechanical engineering. Member of the Bulgarian delegation to the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities with the Council of Europe in Strasbourg. Member of the Governing Board of the National Association of Municipalities in Bulgaria and Chairman of its Social Activities Committee.
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