Plamen Oresharski

{{Infobox officeholder

| name = Plamen Oresharski

| image = Portrait of Plamen Oresharski.jpg

| caption = Official portrait, 2013

| office = Prime Minister of Bulgaria

| president = Rosen Plevneliev

| term_start = 29 May 2013

| term_end = 6 August 2014

| deputy = Tsvetlin Yovchev
Daniela Bobeva
Zinaida Zlatanova

| predecessor = Marin Raykov

| successor = Georgi Bliznashki

| office1 = Member of the National Assembly

| term_start1 = 14 July 2009

| term_end1 = 29 May 2013

| constituency1 = 2nd MMC - Burgas

| office2 = Minister of Finance

| primeminister2 = Sergei Stanishev

| term_start2 = 17 August 2005

| term_end2 = 27 July 2009

| predecessor2 = Milen Veltchev

| successor2 = Simeon Dyankov

| birth_name = Plamen Vasilev Oresharski

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1960|2|21|df=y}}

| birth_place = Dupnitsa, PR Bulgaria

| death_date =

| death_place =

| party =

Independent (since 2014)

| otherparty = SDS (until 2003)
BSP (2005-2013)

| education = University of National and World Economy

| native_name = {{nobold|Пламен Орешарски}}

| native_name_lang = bg

| spouse = Elka Georgieva

| children = 1

| occupation = {{hlist|Politician|economist|lecturer}}

}}

Plamen Vasilev Oresharski ({{langx|bg|Пламен Василев Орешарски}}, born 21 February 1960) is a Bulgarian politician who served as Prime Minister of Bulgaria from 2013 to 2014. Affiliated with the Bulgarian Socialist Party, he previously served as Member of the National Assembly from 2009 to 2013, Minister of Finance from 2005 to 2009 and Deputy Minister of Finance from 1997 to 2001.

Early life and education

Oresharski was born on 21 February 1960 in Dupnitsa, Bulgaria. In addition to his native Bulgarian, he speaks English and Russian.{{cite news|url=http://personi.dir.bg/person.php?id=45|title=Пламен Орешарски профил и биография|access-date=2013-12-20|language=bg|publisher=personi.dir.bg|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131031022755/http://personi.dir.bg/person.php?id=45|archive-date=2013-10-31|url-status=dead}} In 1985, Oresharski graduated from the University of National and World Economy. Between 1988 and 1992, Oresharski completed a dissertation on the topic of "Investments and Investment Analysis", earning the equivalent of a doctoral degree.{{sfn|Lilov|2013|p=381}} From 1993, Oresharski was Director of the Division for the State Treasury and Debt of the Ministry of Finance. Between 1995 and 1997, he served on the Governing Council of the Bulgarian Stock Exchange, and from 1997 to 2000 on the board of the UniCredit Bulbank.{{cite news|url=http://novjivot.info/05/28/61252|title=Кой, кой е в кабинета "Орешарски"|access-date=2014-01-14|date=28 May 2013|language=bg|publisher=novjivot.info}}

Political career

When Ivan Kostov became Prime Minister in 1997, Oresharski served under his administration as Deputy Minister of Finance, a position he held until the 2001 election, when he decided to lecture at the Higher Institute of Finances and Economics.{{cite news|url=https://www.mediapool.bg/pragmatikat-ednakvo-priemliv-i-za-desni-i-za-levi-pravitelstva-news206754.html|title=Кой е бъдещият министър-председател. Прагматикът, еднакво приемлив и за десни, и за леви правителства|trans-title=Who is the future Prime Minister. A pragmatist, equally acceptable to both right and left governments|access-date=14 September 2019|date=23 May 2013|language=bg|publisher=mediapool.bg}} In 2003, he was nominated by the UDF as a mayoral candidate for Sofia. In the same year, Oresharski left the UDF and was for a while part of the BZNS-NS, DP and "Gergyovden" coalition. In 2004, he was a member of the group that was in charge of drafting the economic reports for president Georgi Parvanov.{{sfn|Lilov|2013|p=382}}

=Finance minister=

Oresharski returned to politics in 2005 as Finance Minister in the Socialist-led government of Sergei Stanishev,{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/4153666.stm|title=Bulgaria coalition deal ends row|publisher=BBC News|date=15 August 2005|access-date=14 September 2019}} a position he held until Boyko Borisov replaced Stanishev as Prime Minister in 2009.

=MP=

Oresharski was elected as an MP in the list of Bulgarian Socialist Party (Burgas) in 2009.[https://novini.bg/profile/219 Plamen Vasilev Oresharski (biography) {{in lang|bg}}], BSP Burgas{{cite news|url=http://bsp.bg/news/view/588-bsp_predstavi_vodachite_na_listi_za_nacionalen_parlament.html|title=BSP presented the leaders of lists for national parliament|publisher=Bulgarian Socialist Party|date=26 May 2009|access-date=14 September 2019}}

=Prime minister=

{{Further|2013–14 Bulgarian protests against the Oresharski cabinet}}

After the May 2013 parliamentary election, which was held earlier than initially expected because of the resignation of the Borisov cabinet, the latter's right-wing party, GERB, won a plurality. However, as it did not possess a majority in parliament and failed to secure backing from another party, the mandate was instead given to the second party: the Bulgarian Socialist Party (BSP). In May 2013 Oresharski was given a mandate to form a cabinet for the BSP by President Rosen Plevneliev.

Following his announcement in media of his proposed cabinet there was a strong dislike amongst some towards Oresharski and his ministers, which led to anti-Oresharski cabinet protests even before the election of such cabinet. Green protesters organized themselves on May 27 and protested on May 28.{{cite news|url=https://www.novinite.com/view_news.php?id=150769|title=Bulgarians to Protest 'Mafia' Cabinet Proposal|website=Novinite|date=28 May 2013|access-date=14 September 2019}} Nonetheless the cabinet was elected (with one change: Ivan Danov replaced Kalin Tiholov{{cite news|url=https://arhiv.marica.bg/%d0%b2-%d0%ba%d0%b0%d0%b1%d0%b8%d0%bd%d0%b5%d1%82%d0%b0-%d0%be%d1%80%d0%b5%d1%88%d0%b0%d1%80%d1%81%d0%ba%d0%b8-%d0%bf%d1%80%d0%be%d1%84-%d0%b8%d0%b2%d0%b0%d0%bd-%d0%b4%d0%b0%d0%bd%d0%be%d0%b2-%d1%81%d0%bc%d0%b5%d0%bd%d1%8f-%d1%82%d0%b8%d1%85%d0%be%d0%bb%d0%be%d0%b2!-news109568.html|title=В кабинета "Орешарски": Проф. Иван Данов сменя Тихолов!|trans-title=Oresharski cabinet prof. Ivan Danov changes Tiholov!|language=bg|publisher=Maritza|date=28 May 2013|access-date=14 September 2019}}) and he became Prime Minister after a 120–97 vote in Parliament.{{cite news|title=Bulgaria: Naming of Prime Minister Ends Stalemate|agency=Associated Press|newspaper=The New York Times|date=30 May 2013|page=A8}} Hours after the election new national protests were organized for 2 June 2013. However, national protesters reached thousands rallying on streets on 14 June after the appointment of Delyan Peevski, controversial figure, media mogul and previously investigated for corruption, for a head of Bulgarian security agency (DANS). After the first day of protests against his appointment, Peevski gave his resignation, but demonstrators continued demanding the resignation of the whole cabinet. The protests, varying in size from day to day, finally ended with the resignation of the cabinet one year later.{{cite news|url=http://www.novini.bg/video/7587-%D0%BF%D1%80%D0%BE%D1%82%D0%B5%D1%81%D1%82-%D0%BD%D0%B0-%D1%80%D0%B0%D0%B4%D0%BE%D1%81%D1%82%D1%82%D0%B0-%D1%81%D0%BB%D0%B5%D0%B4-%D0%BE%D1%81%D1%82%D0%B0%D0%B2%D0%BA%D0%B0%D1%82%D0%B0-%D0%BD%D0%B0-%D0%BE%D1%80%D0%B5%D1%88%D0%B0%D1%80%D1%81%D0%BA%D0%B8.html|title="Протест на радостта" след оставката на Орешарски|trans-title="The protest of joy" after Oresharski's resignation|access-date=14 September 2019|date=23 July 2014|language=bg|website=novini.bg}}

On June 30, 2014, Bulgaria's fourth biggest bank KTB went bankrupt, amid accusations that the government had intentionally withdrawn the deposits of state-owned companies the previous weeks. The bailout would eventually cost the state budget $4 billion, and would double the public debt.

On August 4, 2014 Oresharski submitted the resignation of his cabinet, a little more than a year after his appointment as Prime Minister.{{cite news|url=https://www.dw.com/en/socialist-backed-oresharski-cabinet-resigns-in-bulgaria/a-17803242|title=Socialist-backed Oresharski Cabinet resigns in Bulgaria|agency=Deutsche Welle|date=23 July 2014|access-date=14 September 2019}} The next day parliament voted 180-8 (8 abstained and 44 were absent) to accept the government's resignation.{{cite web|title=Bulgarian Parliament Approves Government Resignation|url=https://www.novinite.com/articles/162218/Bulgarian+Parliament+Approves+Government+%3Cb%3EResignation%3C/b%3E|website=Novinite|publisher=Sofia News Agency|access-date=14 September 2019}} Oresharski on a number occasions described himself as cognizant of the need to "have his resignation in his pocket from the very beginning of his tenure as Prime Minister".{{cite web|title=Орешарски няма усещане да е загубил всички, уверен е, че ще успокои нещата, готов е на преговори заради "изнервената ситуация", която била "доста негативна" за развитието на страната|trans-title=Oresharski does not feel like he has lost everyone, he is sure that he will calm things down, he is ready to negotiate because of the "nervous situation" which was "quite negative" for the development of the country|url=https://www.mediapool.bg/oresharski-nyama-useshtane-da-e-zagubil-vsichki-uveren-e-che-shte-uspokoi-neshtata-news208296.html|website=Mediapool|date=1 July 2013|access-date=14 September 2019}}

Personal life

Oresharski is married to cardiologist Elka Georgieva and they have one son, Desislav.{{cite news|url=http://www.cross.bg/borisov-raiikov-oresharski-1389059.html#axzz2p3JLt6XN|title=Годината на тримата премиери: Борисов-Райков-Орешарски - 71:78:214|access-date=14 September 2019|date=30 December 2013|language=bg|publisher=Pressa Daily}} Oresharski's hobbies include mountaineering and badge collecting from various public events.