Who Is Who: Ivaylo Kalfin, Bulgarian Socialist Party Candidate for President

Biography

Ivaylo Georgiev Kalfin was born on May 30, 1964, in Sofia.

In 1983, Kalfin graduated from the French Language High School in Sofia. In 1983-1988, he completed his Master's in international economic relations at the University for National and World Economy in Sofia (then called Karl Marx Institute).

In 1998-1999, Kalfin received a Master's degree in international banking from Loughborough University, UK. Kalfin has also completed various additional qualification programs in Belgium, UK, USA, South Korea.

Kalfin is not a member of the Bulgarian Socialist Party but has been involved in Bulgarian politics through the BSP-led left-wing coalitions, most recently "Coalition for Bulgaria".

In 1990-1994 and 1997-2000, Kalfin is said to have held senior management positions at different private companies in Bulgaria, including consultancy firms.

In 1995-1997, he was an MP from the BSP-led coalition "Democratic Left" in the 37th Parliament. The BSP government at the time, however, ended in an unprecedented economic and financial crisis, which led to early elections, and adjournment of the 37th Parliament.

In 1997, Kalfin became one of the founders of the social-democratic formation "Bulgarian Euroleft" ("Evrolevitsa") chaired by Alexander Tomov.

In June 2000, Coalition for Bulgaria MP Nikolay Kamov resigned from the Bulgarian Euroleft and his seat in Parliament, and Kalfin was bumped up to become a MP from the BSP-led leftist Coalition for Bulgaria until the regular elections in June 2001.

In 2000, together with Nikolay Kamov, Kalfin became one of the founding members of the Political Movement "Social Democrats", and is still one of its top members.

Since 2000, Kalfin has been a professor of finance at the International University, Sofia, which is a branch of the University of Portsmouth.

In 2002-2005, Kalfin was Secretary on Economic Matters of Bulgaria's Socialist President Georgi Parvanov.

Since 2004, Kalfin has been a member of the Consultative Council of the Bulgarian National Bank.

In 2005, Kalfin was the first candidate on the leftist Coalition for Bulgaria proportional representation ticket in the 19th Electoral District (Ruse). Thus, during the June 2005 regular Parliamentary Elections, Kalfin was elected a MP.

With the formation of the three-way coalition government on August 16, 2005, Kalfin was appointed Foreign Minister and Deputy Prime Minister in charge of the economy.

Kalfin was Bulgaria's Foreign Minister at the time of the country's accession to the EU on January 1, 2007.

Kalfin is also famous for being the first Bulgarian Foreign Minister to warn the Republic of Macedonia against misinterpreting and misusing Bulgarian history.

In July 2006, he declared Bulgaria particularly insisted "on the observance of the principles of good neighbor relations and the lack of aggression towards the Bulgarian nation or history on part of the Macedonian authorities".

Ivaylo Kalfin is also the author of a number of specialized articles on macroeconomic and EU issues.

Kalfin's placement as the No. 1 candidate at the Coalition for Bulgaria European Parliament ticket is said to have resulted from his close relationship with the Bulgarian President Georgi Parvanov (former BSP Chair), according to reports in the Bulgarian media.

Since 2009, he has served as one of Bulgaria's Members of the European Parliament.

Kalfins is married to Tzvetanka Ivanova Kalfin. They have one daughter, Bilyana Ivaylova Kalfin. Ivaylo Kalfin speaks French, English, Spanish, and Russian.

Public Service Record

1995-1997 - MP at the 37th Bulgarian Parliament on the Bulgarian Socialist Party ticket

2000-2001 - MP at the 38th Bulgarian Parliament - bumped up from the Bulgarian Euroleft quota at the BSP-led leftist Coalition for Bulgaria, after MP Nikolay Kamov resigned from the Bulgarian Euroleft party and the Parliament

2001 and 2003 - Kosovo Elections observer within Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe missions

2002-2005 - Economic Issues Secretary of the President of the Republic of Bulgaria, Georgi Parvanov

June 2005 - August 2005 - MP at the 40th Bulgarian Parliament - Coalition for Bulgaria

17 August 2005 - June 2009 - Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Bulgaria from the BSP-led Coalition for Bulgaria at the three-way coalition government of Prime Minister Sergey Stanishev

June 2009-present – Member of the European Parliament from the Group of Democrats and Socialists

Electoral Record

1995-1997 - elected MP at the 37th Bulgarian Parliament on the BSP ticket

2000-2001 - became an MP at the 38th Bulgarian Parliament as he was bumped up from the Bulgarian Euroleft quota at the BSP-led "Coalition for Bulgaria" proportional representation ticket after MP Nikolay Kamov resigned from the Parliament

June -August 2005 - elected MP at the 40th Bulgarian Parliament after he was placed first on the Coalition for Bulgaria proportional ticket in the 19th Electoral District (Ruse); he represented the leftist Political Movement "Social Democrats"

2009 – elected Member of the European Parliament from the BSP-led Coalition for Bulgaria and the Group of Socialists and Democrats in the EP