Nikolai Denkov
Ph.D (BAS)
Николай Денков
Official portrait, 2021
Prime Minister of Bulgaria
Assumed office
6 June 2023
PresidentRumen Radev
DeputyMariya Gabriel
Preceded byGalab Donev
Member of the National Assembly
In office
19 October 2022 – 6 June 2023
Constituency30th MMC – Shumen
Minister of Education and Science
In office
12 May 2021 – 2 August 2022
Prime Minister
Preceded byKrasimir Valchev
Succeeded bySasho Penov
In office
27 January 2017 – 4 May 2017
Prime MinisterOgnyan Gerdzhikov
Preceded byMeglena Kuneva
Succeeded byKrasimir Valchev
Deputy Minister of Education and Science
In office
12 August 2014 – 5 April 2016
Prime MinisterBoyko Borisov
MinisterTodor Tanev
Meglena Kuneva
Personal details
Born
Nikolai Denkov Denkov

(1962-09-03) 3 September 1962
Stara Zagora, PR Bulgaria
Political partyWe Continue the Change
Other political
affiliations		Independent (until 2022)
EducationSofia University
OccupationPolitician, chemist, physicist

Nikolai Denkov Denkov (Bulgarian: Николай Денков Денков, born 3 September 1962) is a Bulgarian politician serving as the Prime Minister of Bulgaria since 6 June 2023.[1] He was previously the Minister of Education of the Republic of Bulgaria. Denkov is a physicist, physical chemist and chemist. He is a member of the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences and was a lecturer at the University of Sofia.

Early life

Nikolai Denkov was born on 3 September 1962, in Stara Zagora, Bulgaria. After elementary school, he moved to the Bulgarian capital Sofia, where he graduated from the National Gymnasium for Science and Mathematics in 1980. This was followed by a master's degree in chemistry and pharmacy at the St. Kliment-Ohridski University in Sofia, which he completed in 1987. In 1993 he defended his dissertation and obtained his doctorate.

For the early part of his career Denkov worked as visiting researcher in JRDC (Japan), senior researcher in Rhone-Poulenc R&D (France), lead scientist in Unilever R&D (USA), and guest professor in France (ESPCI-Paris and Univ. Lille).

Academic career

Denkov has been an adjunct lecturer since 1997 and professor of physical chemistry at the University of Sofia since 2008. Between 2008 and 2015 he was head of the faculty for technical chemistry and director of the master's course Disperse Systems in Chemical Technologies. He has been a doctor of chemistry since 2007. He specialized in Japan and at Uppsala University in Sweden and worked as a senior scientist in the research institutes of private companies such as Unilever (USA) and Rhône-Poulenc (France).[2][3]

In 2010 he was awarded the highest national award "Pythagoras" for scientific achievements by the Bulgarian Ministry of Education and Science. In 2013 he received the Medal of Honor with Blue Ribbon from the University of Sofia.[2]

Between 2012 and 2013, Denkov was a member of various working groups in the Ministry of Education and Science and in the Council of Ministers. He actively participated in the development of the concept of the Operational Program Science and Education for Smart Growth and in the discussions for the Partnership Agreement for 2013–2020 between the Republic of Bulgaria and the European Commission.[2][3]

Civil service career

From August 2014 to April 2016, Denkov was Deputy Minister of Education and Science in the Borisov II government, responsible for higher education and the European Structural Funds, including the implementation of the Operational Program Science and Education for Smart Growth. From 27 January 2017, to 4 May 2017, he was Interim Minister for Education and Science in Gerdzhikov's interim government.[2]

In 2019, Denkov was awarded the Solvay Prize of the European Colloid and Interface Society (ECIS) for his research achievements and he was elected a full member of the Academia Europaea.

Political career

Education minister (2021–2022)

Between 12 May 2021, and 13 December 2021, he was again interim minister for education and science in the acting governments of Yanev I and Yanev II during the COVID-19 pandemic. When after the general election in November 2021 that We Continue the Change (PP) had the largest congressional faction was and could form a coalition capable of governing, Denkov became the education minister in the Cabinet of Kiril Petkov.[2][3][4]

Prime Minister of Bulgaria (2023–present)

Nikolai Denkov at the NATO 2023 Vilnius summit (Bottom Left next to Justin Trudeau)
Denkov with Israeli President Isaac Herzog in Jerusalem, Israel, 6 November 2023

Following the outcome of the Bulgarian parliamentary elections held in April 2023, on 22 May Denkov was projected to become Prime Minister of Bulgaria as part of a power-sharing agreement between the two most-voted coalitions, GERB—SDS and PP–DB.[5][6][7] The deal implied that Denkov would lead the new government for the following nine months, before switching positions with Mariya Gabriel.[6][7][8]

Following extensive talks between the two coalitions involved, as well as the Movement for Rights and Freedoms,[9][10] an official agreement on the composition of the Denkov-Gabriel cabinet was reached on 2 June.[9] On 6 June, the Bulgarian National Assembly voted in Denkov's new government, with 132 votes in favor and 69 against.[1][8][9][11] The new government will focus on fighting Russian influence in Bulgaria's security sector and obtaining membership in the Schengen Area and the eurozone. A political crisis prompted Bulgaria to postpone adopting the euro until 2025. In December 2022, Austrian and Dutch opposition blocked Bulgaria and Romania from becoming members of the Schengen Area.[12]

In September 2023, Denkov called Azerbaijan a "valuable partner" of Bulgaria.[13] Denkov condemned Hamas' actions during the 2023 Israel–Hamas war and expressed his support to Israel.[14]

On the 30th of December 2023, it became clear that Denkov's cabinet had secured membership for Bulgaria in the Schengen Area by air and sea.[15] Although further negotiations in 2024 would be required to lift border controls by land,[15] this was a major diplomatic success for the Denkov-Gabriel cabinet, which aimed for а positive decision regarding Schengen Area membership by the end of 2023 as part of the five government priorities stated in July of the same year.[16]

References

  1. 1 2 "България има ново правителство с премиер Николай Денков - По света и у нас - БНТ Новини". bntnews.bg (in Bulgarian). 6 June 2023. Retrieved 6 June 2023.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 "Министър".
  3. 1 2 3 "Department of Chemical Engineering - Prof. Nikolai D. Denkov, Ph.D., D.Sc".
  4. ↑ "Избират кабинета "Петков", новите министри поемат властта".
  5. ↑ "ГЕРБ и ПП-ДБ правят правителство, Денков и Габриел ще са премиери за по 9 месеца (видео)". Mediapool.bg (in Bulgarian). 22 May 2023. Retrieved 24 May 2023.
  6. 1 2 Dunai, Marton (23 May 2023). "Bulgaria breaks political deadlock with proposed power-sharing deal". Financial Times. Retrieved 24 May 2023.
  7. 1 2 "Bulgaria agrees government with rotating PMs to tackle corruption". POLITICO. 22 May 2023. Retrieved 24 May 2023.
  8. 1 2 "Nikolai Denkov, nuevo primer ministro de Bulgaria". RTVE (in Spanish). 6 June 2023. Retrieved 7 June 2023.
  9. 1 2 3 "Bulgaria Finally has a Regular Government (CHRONOLOGY OF EVENTS)". Novinite. Retrieved 6 June 2023.
  10. ↑ "Двучасов разговор между ПП-ДБ, ГЕРБ-СДС и ДПС, сред тях Кирил Петков и Делян Пеевски)". 24chasa.bg (in Bulgarian). Retrieved 2 June 2023.
  11. ↑ "Bulgaria's parliament elects new government led by PM Denkov". Reuters. 6 June 2023. Retrieved 7 June 2023.
  12. ↑ "Bulgarian Parliament Approves Coalition Government After Five Elections In Two Years". Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty. 6 June 2023.
  13. ↑ "Prime Minister Denkov: Azerbaijan is our valuable partner". 3E News. 13 September 2023.
  14. ↑ "Bulgaria condemns Hamas terrorist attack on Israel". The Sofia Globe. 7 October 2023. Archived from the original on 7 October 2023.
  15. 1 2 "Press corner". European Commission - European Commission. Retrieved 31 December 2023.
  16. ↑ Хаджийски, Васил (26 July 2023). "Управляващите приеха програма с пет основни цели до края на мандата на Мария Габриел". Dnevnik (in Bulgarian). Retrieved 31 December 2023.
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