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| '''Zhelyu Mitev Zhelev''' ({{lang-bg|Желю Митев Желев}}; 3 March 1935 – 30 January 2015) was a ]n politician and former ] who served as the first non-Communist ] from 1990 to 1997. He was elected as President by the ], and was then elected directly by the people in 1992. He lost his party's nomination for his 1996 reelection campaign after losing a tough primary race to ] |
'''Zhelyu Mitev Zhelev''' ({{lang-bg|Желю Митев Желев}}; 3 March 1935 – 30 January 2015) was a ]n politician and former ] who served as the first non-Communist ] from 1990 to 1997. He was elected as President by the ], and was then elected directly by the people in 1992. He lost his party's nomination for his 1996 reelection campaign after losing a tough primary race to ]. | ||
| == Biography == | == Biography == | ||
| Zhelyu Zhelev was born March 3, 1935 in Veselinovo village, ]. He graduated with a degree in ] from the ] in 1958, and later earned a ] in 1974. | Zhelyu Zhelev was born March 3, 1935 in Veselinovo village, ]. He graduated with a degree in ] from the ] in 1958, and later earned a ] in 1974.<ref name="Lentz2014">{{cite book|author=Harris M. Lentz|title=Heads of States and Governments Since 1945|url=http://books.google.com/books?id=D6HKAgAAQBAJ&pg=PA117|date=4 February 2014|publisher=Routledge|isbn=978-1-134-26490-2|page=117}}</ref> | ||
| === Dissident === | === Dissident === | ||
| Zhelev was a member of the ], but was expelled from it for political reasons in 1965. He |
Zhelev was a member of the ], but was expelled from it for political reasons in 1965. He was unemployed for six years since all employment in Bulgaria was state-regulated.<ref name="Lentz2014"/> | ||
| In 1982 he published his controversial work, "The Fascism" (Фашизмът). Three weeks after publication in 1982, the book was banned and removed from bookstores and libraries as it likened Bulgaria's socialist state to the country's fascist administration of World War II. | In 1982 he published his controversial work, "The Fascism" (Фашизмът). Three weeks after publication in 1982, the book was banned and removed from bookstores and libraries as it likened Bulgaria's socialist state to the country's fascist administration of World War II.<ref name="KaidHoltz-Bacha2007">{{cite book|author1=Lynda Lee Kaid|author2=Christina Holtz-Bacha|title=Encyclopedia of Political Communication|url=http://books.google.com/books?id=bCd1AwAAQBAJ&pg=PT1015|date=21 December 2007|publisher=SAGE Publications|isbn=978-1-4522-6562-9|page=1015}}</ref> | ||
| === SDS === | === SDS === | ||
| Line 42: | Line 42: | ||
| === MP and President === | === MP and President === | ||
| Zhelev was elected MP in ] for the 7th Grand National Assembly; the Assembly's main goal was to create a new democratic ]. After the resignation of President ], the assembly elected Zhelev his successor on August 1, 1990. |
Zhelev was elected MP in ] for the 7th Grand National Assembly; the Assembly's main goal was to create a new democratic ]. After the resignation of President ], the assembly elected Zhelev his successor on August 1, 1990.<ref name="KaidHoltz-Bacha2007"/> | ||
| === 1992 presidential election === | === 1992 presidential election === | ||
| Line 54: | Line 54: | ||
| Back in 2009 Zhelev also voiced his opinion that Bulgaria should transform into a ] on the French model saying: "The country should have both prime minister and president, but the latter should be vested in far-reaching powers so that he may control the executive power".<ref>{{cite web|title=Calls for Electing Prime Minister Borisov for Bulgaria's President Gain Momentum|url=http://www.novinite.com/articles/106342/Calls+for+Electing+Prime+Minister+Borisov+for+Bulgaria%27s+President+Gain+Momentum|work=Novinite.com|publisher=Sofia News Agency|accessdate=17 March 2014}}</ref> He died in Sofia at the age of 79 on 30 January 2015.<ref>http://www.novinite.com/articles/166247/Bulgaria%27s+Former+President+Zhelyu+Zhelev+Dies</ref><ref>http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-01-30/zhelev-bulgaria-s-first-post-communist-president-dies-at-79</ref> | Back in 2009 Zhelev also voiced his opinion that Bulgaria should transform into a ] on the French model saying: "The country should have both prime minister and president, but the latter should be vested in far-reaching powers so that he may control the executive power".<ref>{{cite web|title=Calls for Electing Prime Minister Borisov for Bulgaria's President Gain Momentum|url=http://www.novinite.com/articles/106342/Calls+for+Electing+Prime+Minister+Borisov+for+Bulgaria%27s+President+Gain+Momentum|work=Novinite.com|publisher=Sofia News Agency|accessdate=17 March 2014}}</ref> He died in Sofia at the age of 79 on 30 January 2015.<ref>http://www.novinite.com/articles/166247/Bulgaria%27s+Former+President+Zhelyu+Zhelev+Dies</ref><ref>http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-01-30/zhelev-bulgaria-s-first-post-communist-president-dies-at-79</ref> | ||
| === Author === | |||
| Zhelev has written a number of books and publications, the most notable one being his controversial 1981 work '']''. The book was removed from the bookshelves and destroyed a few weeks after it was published. This caught the attention of Bulgarian readers and as a result this became the best-read book between 1981 and 1989. A few people were arrested by the secret police for possessing it. The author was confined to his hometown, Shumen, and banned from public life. | |||
| The book analyzes the three classic fascist societies—Nazi Germany, Fascist Italy, and Francoist Spain—and establishes five elements of a Fascist political system: | |||
| # Single party system with strong personality cult. | |||
| # Merger of the party apparatus with the state apparatus. | |||
| # Total espionage. | |||
| # Censorship. | |||
| # System of repression (secret police with extraordinary authority and death camps). | |||
| The book does not pose any criticism of the Communist system in the Soviet bloc and deals exclusively with well-known facts. However, the analysis of the abovementioned five elements of fascist countries was viewed as implying that the system of Communist countries was a mirror image of the fascist systems, in sharp contrast with democratic countries, such as the United States and those in Western Europe. | |||
| ===World Justice Project=== | ===World Justice Project=== | ||
| Zhelyu Zhelev served as an Honorary Co-Chair for the ] (]). |
Zhelyu Zhelev served as an Honorary Co-Chair for the ] (]).<ref name=wjp>{{cite web|title=Honorary Chairs|url=http://worldjusticeproject.org/honorary-chairs|publisher=]|accessdate=31 January 2015}}</ref> | ||
| ===Awards and accolades=== | ===Awards and accolades=== | ||
Revision as of 13:45, 31 January 2015
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| Zhelyu Zhelev Желю Желев | |
|---|---|
 | |
| 2nd President of Bulgaria | |
| In office 1 August 1990 – 22 January 1997 | |
| Prime Minister | Andrey Lukanov Dimitar Popov Philip Dimitrov Lyuben Berov Reneta Indzhova (Acting) Zhan Videnov |
| Vice President | Atanas Semerdzhiev Blaga Dimitrova |
| Preceded by | Nikolai Todorov (Acting) |
| Succeeded by | Petar Stoyanov |
| Chairman of the Union of Democratic Forces | |
| In office 1989 - 1990 | |
| Preceded by | Office Established |
| Succeeded by | Petar Beron |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Zhelyu Mitev Zhelev (1935-03-03)3 March 1935 Veselinovo, Bulgaria |
| Died | 30 January 2015(2015-01-30) (aged 79) Sofia, Bulgaria |
| Political party | Union of Democratic Forces |
| Spouse | Maria Zheleva |
| Children | Yordanka Stanka |
| Profession | Philosopher |
| Signature |  |
Zhelyu Mitev Zhelev (Template:Lang-bg; 3 March 1935 – 30 January 2015) was a Bulgarian politician and former dissident who served as the first non-Communist President of Bulgaria from 1990 to 1997. He was elected as President by the 7th Grand National Assembly, and was then elected directly by the people in 1992. He lost his party's nomination for his 1996 reelection campaign after losing a tough primary race to Petar Stoyanov.
Biography
Zhelyu Zhelev was born March 3, 1935 in Veselinovo village, Shumen. He graduated with a degree in philosophy from the Sofia University "St. Kliment Ohridski" in 1958, and later earned a Ph.D. in 1974.
Dissident
Zhelev was a member of the Bulgarian Communist Party, but was expelled from it for political reasons in 1965. He was unemployed for six years since all employment in Bulgaria was state-regulated.
In 1982 he published his controversial work, "The Fascism" (Фашизмът). Three weeks after publication in 1982, the book was banned and removed from bookstores and libraries as it likened Bulgaria's socialist state to the country's fascist administration of World War II.
SDS
In 1988, just before the Fall of Communism, Zhelev founded the Ruse Committee, and in 1989 he became a founding member and chairman of the Club for Support of Openness and Reform (a time when many such democratic clubs were formed), which helped him to achieve the position of Chairman of the Coordinating Council of the Union of Democratic Forces (Bulgarian: СДС, SDS) party.
MP and President
Zhelev was elected MP in June 1990 for the 7th Grand National Assembly; the Assembly's main goal was to create a new democratic Constitution of Bulgaria. After the resignation of President Petar Mladenov, the assembly elected Zhelev his successor on August 1, 1990.
1992 presidential election
Under the new constitution adopted in July 1991, the president was to be elected directly by voters, for a maximum of two terms. The first such election was held in January 1992. Zhelev won in the runoff against Velko Valkanov (who was endorsed by the Socialists) with 52.8% of the votes. Zhelev became the first Bulgarian Head of State to be democratically elected directly by the electorate, serving his full five-year term until January 1997.
1996 presidential election
Zhelev lost his party's nomination for the 1996 presidential race to Petar Stoyanov who went on to win the next presidential elections.
Later political career
After his defeat in the 1996 UDF primaries and after the end of his presidency in 1997, Zhelev remained in politics, but on a much smaller scale. He became Honorary Chair of the Liberal Democratic Union and Honorary Chair of the Liberal International and in 1997 went on to establish and preside over a foundation named after him. Zhelev was the initiator and president of the Balkan Political Club, a union of former political leaders from Southeast Europe. As part of the club he has voiced his support for Turkey's accession to the European Union.
Back in 2009 Zhelev also voiced his opinion that Bulgaria should transform into a presidential republic on the French model saying: "The country should have both prime minister and president, but the latter should be vested in far-reaching powers so that he may control the executive power". He died in Sofia at the age of 79 on 30 January 2015.
World Justice Project
Zhelyu Zhelev served as an Honorary Co-Chair for the World Justice Project (ABA).
Awards and accolades
 | This section needs expansion. You can help by adding to it. (March 2014) |
On January 15, 2010 Zhelev received the Macedonian state Order 8-September for his contribution to the recognition of the independence of the Republic of Macedonia from the former Yugoslavia.
References
- ^ Harris M. Lentz (4 February 2014). Heads of States and Governments Since 1945. Routledge. p. 117. ISBN 978-1-134-26490-2.
- ^ Lynda Lee Kaid; Christina Holtz-Bacha (21 December 2007). Encyclopedia of Political Communication. SAGE Publications. p. 1015. ISBN 978-1-4522-6562-9.
- "Профил на Желю Желев в "omda". omda.bg. Retrieved 16 December 2014.
- "Bulgaria Ex-President Zhelev: Turkey Should Be in EU Already". Novinite.com. Sofia News Agency. Retrieved 17 March 2014.
- "Calls for Electing Prime Minister Borisov for Bulgaria's President Gain Momentum". Novinite.com. Sofia News Agency. Retrieved 17 March 2014.
- http://www.novinite.com/articles/166247/Bulgaria%27s+Former+President+Zhelyu+Zhelev+Dies
- http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-01-30/zhelev-bulgaria-s-first-post-communist-president-dies-at-79
- "Honorary Chairs". World Justice Project. Retrieved 31 January 2015.
- "Macedonia President: Bulgaria Leader in Recognizing Our Independence". Novinite.com. Sofia News Agency. Retrieved 6 March 2014.
External links
- "Zhelyu Zhelev - The dissident president" at the Sofia Echo, by Ivan Vatahov, April 17 2003 (retrieved January 27, 2010).
| Heads of state of Bulgaria (since 1946) | ||
|---|---|---|
| People's Republic of Bulgaria |  | |
| Republic of Bulgaria | ||