Mihail Mikov

Mihail Raykov Mikov (; born 16 June 1960) is a Bulgarian politician who was Chairman of the Bulgarian Socialist Party (BSP) from 2014 to 2016. He is a parliamentarian with six consecutive terms as a deputy in the National Assembly. His career in the legislature culminated in his election as Chairman of the 42nd National Assembly on May 21, 2013. Mikov was Minister of Interior from 24 April 2008 to 29 July 2009 in Sergei Stanishev's government. Currently he is the leader of the Parliamentary Group of BSP Left Bulgaria in the 43rd National Assembly, the coalition led by the socialist party. Mihail Mikov was elected as Chairman of the BSP on 27 July 2014, succeeding Sergei Stanishev. He won a run-off against outgoing Economy and Energy Minister Dragomir Stoynev with a final tally of 377-333.

On May 8, 2016, Mikov was defeated 395-349 in a runoff vote by Korneliya Ninova for the leadership of the party.

Early life and education Mikov was born in the Bulgarian town of Kula, Vidin Province, on June 16, 1960. Modernizing the party Upholding the core values of socialism and social democracy Protecting the interests of the majority of Bulgarian citizens

Lawmaker The leader of the Bulgarian socialists is acknowledged for his career as a jurist and a lawmaker. As an academic he consulted the authors of many bills and laws adopted by parliaments starting from the Grand National Assembly, including the present Bulgarian Constitution. He was elected for his first term in 1997 and became deputy from Vidin. In parliament he initiated constitutional and criminal law changes including such restricting the immunity of lawmakers, judges and prosecutors, creating the institution of Ombudsman and improving the accountability of the higher judicial bodies before the national legislature. Other reforms he co-authored lead to the abolition of the death penalty and criminalization of computer crimes.

Minister of Interior Mihail Mikov was appointed Minister of interior in the BSP lead government of Sergei Stanishev and occupied that post from April 2008 to July 2009. The Chairman of the National Assembly presided over festivities for the 135th anniversary of the Constituent Assembly and the adoption of the Tarnovo Constitution. Mikov patroned the events marking the 125th anniversary of the death of Antim I, Chairman of the Constituent Assembly and the Ist Grand National Assembly of Bulgaria.

Positions and controversies During the 2013–14 Bulgarian protests against the Oresharski cabinet, provoked by the nomination of Delyan Peevski for chairman of the State Agency for National Security, Mihail Mikov made a special address to the nation on June 26, 2013 in which he criticized mass media for increasing tension by their covering of the antigovernment protests. Mikov's remarks provoked a strong reaction from the press and the electronic media. Many of them signed a declaration in which they rejected any political and institutional attempts to influence freedom of speech and their editorial independence.

In October 2013 students from the Sofia University met Mikov in his cabinet after protesting inside the parliament's building. Later they quoted him as saying that he "doesn't care for those protesting" against the government. The chairmen of the National Assembly told them that he had been elected by voters for several terms and that in parliament deputies represent the sovereign as a whole and not a certain number of people.

In an interview around the premature end of his term as head of Bulgarian Parliament Mihail Mikov stated that he does not consider the mandate of the government and the ruling majority to be a failure. "That was a parliament of the necessary social decisions, of increased parliamentary control over the government… a parliament of the possible majority, born by the elections in May 2013”, he said quoted by the daily "Pressa".

Chairman of BSP

Mihail Mikov was elected Chairman of BSP on July 27, 2014, succeeding Sergei Stanishev who lead the socialists for 13 years. He won a run-off against outgoing Economy and Energy Minister Dragomir Stoynev with a final tally of 377-333. There were 16 invalid ballots and 36 delegates decided not to vote. At a pressconference after polls were closed Mihail Mikov admitted election defeat and pointed out that the party that won the most votes – the center-right GERB, now had the responsibility to form government.

On several rounds of consultations on the new government BSP highlighted its differences with GERB and announced it was to remain in opposition to the right lead majority in the new parliament and the future Ministerial Council. Although different opinions were heard, including those of some leading representatives of the Socialist Party, Mikov and the majority of the party's governing bodies maintained that opposing the center-right government was the right move.

43rd National Assembly On October 5, 2014 Mihail Mikov was elected to the 43rd National Assembly from two election districts – in Sofia, and in Vidin, where he traditionally runs for office. The leader of the Socialist party chose to become deputy from the capital. On October 27, 2014 he was elected leader of the Parliamentary Group of BSP Left Bulgaria.