Ivan Kostov facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Ivan Kostov
Иван Костов
Kostov in 2010
Prime Minister of Bulgaria
In office 21 May 1997 – 24 July 2001
President	Petar Stoyanov
Deputy	Evgeni Bakardzhiev Veselin Metodiev Alexander Bozhkov
Preceded by	Stefan Sofiyanski
Succeeded by	Simeon Sakskoburggotski
Minister of Finance
In office 20 December 1990 – 30 December 1992
Prime Minister	Dimitar Popov Philip Dimitrov
Preceded by	Belcho Belchev
Succeeded by	Stoyan Alexandrov
Senior political offices Leader of the Democrats for Strong Bulgaria In office 30 May 2004 – 13 May 2013 Preceded by Position established Succeeded by Radan Kanev Leader of the Union of Democratic Forces In office 29 December 1994 – 26 June 2001 Preceded by Philip Dimitrov Succeeded by Ekaterina Mihaylova
Parliamentary offices Member of the National Assembly In office 5 July 2001 – 14 March 2013 Constituency 16th MMC - Plovdiv (2001-2005) 23rd MMC - Sofia (2005-2013) In office 12 January 1995 – 21 May 1997 Constituency 16th MMC - Plovdiv Member of the 7th Grand National Assembly In office 10 July 1990 – 20 December 1990 Preceded by Position established Succeeded by Position abolished
Personal details
Born	Ivan Yordanov Kostov (1949-12-23) 23 December 1949 (age 75) Sofia, PR Bulgaria
Political party	Democrats for a Strong Bulgaria (since 2004)
Other political affiliations	Union of Democratic Forces (until 2003)
Spouse	Elena Kostova ​ (m. 1974)​
Children	2
Alma mater	University of National and World Economy Sofia University
Occupation	Politician economist lecturer author

Ivan Kostov (born 23 December 1949) is a well-known Bulgarian politician. He served as the Prime Minister of Bulgaria from 1997 to 2001. Before becoming Prime Minister, he was the Minister of Finance from 1990 to 1992.

Kostov was a leader of the SDS party from 1994 to 2001. After his time as Prime Minister, he started a new political party called the DSB. He was also a member of the National Assembly, which is like Bulgaria's parliament, from 2001 to 2013.

Ivan Kostov studied Economics at the Karl Marx Higher Institute of Economics in Sofia, graduating in 1974. He later earned a Ph.D. in Mathematical Modeling of Economic Processes from Sofia University. He worked as a professor before entering politics after the fall of communism in Bulgaria. He became an expert on economic issues for the Union of Democratic Forces (UDF).

His political journey began in 1990 when he became a Member of Parliament. He served as an MP until 2013. He also held the position of Finance Minister in two governments from December 1990 to December 1992.

Leading the UDF and Becoming Prime Minister

Kostov was chosen as the leader of the UDF party in 1994. In the winter of 1996 and 1997, many people protested against the government at the time. There were big problems like very high prices, many people without jobs, and not enough food. These protests led to the government stepping down.

The UDF party won the elections in May 1997, and Ivan Kostov became Bulgaria's Prime Minister. His government was the first one after the communist era to stay in power for its full four-year term.

Important Changes as Prime Minister

Ivan Kostov is known for helping Bulgaria's economy get much better. His government introduced a system called a currency board, which helped control prices. They also removed price controls and worked to create a modern market economy. These changes helped Bulgaria achieve steady economic growth.

During his time as Prime Minister, many important economic reforms happened. State-owned businesses were sold to private owners on a large scale. Bulgaria also began talks to join the European Union, which it successfully did on 1 January 2007.

Foreign Policy and International Relations

In foreign affairs, Ivan Kostov strongly supported Bulgaria joining the European Union and NATO. He wanted Bulgaria to be closely connected with these groups.

During the war in Kosovo, his government made a big decision. They allowed NATO planes to use Bulgaria's airspace but did not allow Russia to do so. This was important because it stopped Russia from sending supplies to its forces in Kosovo. This decision helped NATO's efforts in the Kosovo War. Because of this, US President Bill Clinton visited Sofia in 1999.

Kostov's government also decided not to let refugees from Kosovo enter Bulgaria directly. Instead, they arranged for them to be temporarily settled in the Republic of Macedonia.

Challenges and End of Term

During Kostov's time as Prime Minister, there were some claims in the media about mismanagement and corruption. However, none of these claims were ever proven. Some very old, bankrupt state businesses were sold for less than their original value. This was done to save jobs, as these businesses were already closing down due to huge debts. Critics sometimes used these sales to make accusations, but they were unfounded.

Even though the country became more stable, Bulgaria's trade balance started to show more money going out than coming in. In the June 2001 election, the UDF party lost to a new party. After this, Kostov resigned as the UDF leader.

In 2004, he left the UDF and started a new political party called Democrats for a Strong Bulgaria (DSB). He led the DSB until June 2013.

Supporting Fiscal Rules

In 2010, the government led by Prime Minister Boyko Borisov suggested a new rule for Bulgaria's budget. They wanted to add a rule to the Bulgarian Constitution that said the government's budget deficit (when it spends more money than it takes in) could not be more than 2% of the country's total economic output (GDP) in any year.

Ivan Kostov and his party, the Democrats for a Strong Bulgaria, supported this idea. The Parliament approved it in November 2010. Kostov's party also supported other plans by that government, like banning smoking in public places and changes to the pension system.

Personal Life

Ivan Kostov is married to Elena Kostova. He enjoys playing tennis and is also a big fan of chess.

See also

In Spanish: Ivan Kostov para niños