Ivan Kostov facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Ivan Kostov
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Иван Костов
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Kostov in 2010
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| Prime Minister of Bulgaria | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| In office 21 May 1997 – 24 July 2001 |
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| President | Petar Stoyanov | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Deputy | Evgeni Bakardzhiev Veselin Metodiev Alexander Bozhkov |
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| Preceded by | Stefan Sofiyanski | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Succeeded by | Simeon Sakskoburggotski | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Minister of Finance | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| In office 20 December 1990 – 30 December 1992 |
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| Prime Minister | Dimitar Popov Philip Dimitrov |
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| Preceded by | Belcho Belchev | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Succeeded by | Stoyan Alexandrov | ||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Personal details | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born |
Ivan Yordanov Kostov
23 December 1949 Sofia, PR Bulgaria |
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| Political party | Democrats for a Strong Bulgaria (since 2004) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Other political affiliations |
Union of Democratic Forces (until 2003) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Spouse |
Elena Kostova
(m. 1974) |
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| Children | 2 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Alma mater | University of National and World Economy Sofia University |
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| Occupation |
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Ivan Yordanov Kostov (Bulgarian: Иван Йорданов Костов) was born on December 23, 1949. He is a 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. He was also the leader of the SDS party. After his time as Prime Minister, Kostov started a new political party called the DSB. He was a Member of the National Assembly from 2001 to 2013.
Ivan Kostov studied Economics in Sofia. He graduated from the Karl Marx Higher Institute of Economics in 1974. Later, he earned a Ph.D. in how to use math to understand economic processes. He then taught at Sofia Technical University.
He entered politics after the Berlin Wall fell and the communist leader in Bulgaria, Todor Zhivkov, lost power. Kostov became an expert on money matters for the Union of Democratic Forces (UDF). He became a Member of Parliament in 1990 and served until 2013. He was also Bulgaria's Finance Minister in two governments.
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Becoming Prime Minister
Kostov became the chairman of the UDF party in 1994. In the winter of 1996 and 1997, many people protested against the government. 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. Ivan Kostov then 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.
Economic Changes in Bulgaria
Kostov is known for helping Bulgaria's economy. His government introduced a currency board. This helped to make the country's money stable. They also removed controls on prices and created a modern market economy. These changes helped Bulgaria's economy grow steadily.
Many state-owned businesses were sold to private companies. This process is called privatization. Bulgaria also started talks to join the European Union. Bulgaria officially joined the EU on January 1, 2007.
Foreign Policy and NATO
In foreign affairs, Ivan Kostov strongly supported joining the European Union and NATO. NATO is a group of countries that work together for defense. His government helped Bulgaria move closer to these important international groups.
During the war in Kosovo, Kostov made a big decision. He allowed NATO planes to use Bulgaria's airspace. But he did not allow Russia to use it. This decision stopped Russia from sending supplies to its forces in Kosovo. It helped NATO succeed in its actions.
This decision led to US President Bill Clinton visiting Sofia in 1999. Kostov also decided that refugees from Kosovo would go to Republic of Macedonia instead of Bulgaria.
Challenges and Criticisms
During Kostov's time as Prime Minister, some media reports claimed there was mismanagement and corruption. However, none of these claims were ever proven. Some old state businesses were sold for less than their value. This was because these businesses had huge debts and were already failing. The goal was to save jobs for the workers.
Critics of Kostov's government used these sales to make accusations of corruption. While the country became more stable, Bulgaria's trade balance started to show more money going out than coming in.
Some of Kostov's privatization plans were criticized by other political parties. In the June 2001 election, the UDF party lost. After this, Kostov resigned as the UDF chairman. In 2004, he left the UDF and started a new party called Democrats for a Strong Bulgaria (DSB). He led the DSB until June 2013.
Personal Life
Ivan Kostov is married to Elena Kostova. They got married in 1974 and have two children. He enjoys playing tennis. He is also a big fan of chess.
See also
In Spanish: Ivan Kostov para niños
