Asen Vasilev Explained

Office:Minister of Finance
Term Start:6 June 2023
Term End:9 April 2024
Primeminister:Nikolai Denkov
Predecessor:Rositsa Velkova
Successor:Lyudmila Petkova
Term Start1:13 December 2021
Term End1:2 August 2022
Primeminister1:Kiril Petkov
Predecessor1:Valery Beltchev
Successor1:Rositsa Velkova-Zheleva
Term Start2:12 May 2021
Term End2:16 September 2021
Primeminister2:Stefan Yanev
Predecessor2:Kiril Ananiev
Successor2:Valery Beltchev
Office3:Member of the National Assembly
Term Start3:19 October 2022
Term End3:6 June 2023
Constituency3:29th MMC - Haskovo
Office4:Deputy Prime Minister of Bulgaria
Term Start4:13 December 2021
Term End4:2 August 2022
Primeminister4:Kiril Petkov
Alongside4:Kalina Konstantinova, Korneliya Ninova, Grozdan Karadzhov and Borislav Sandov
Predecessor4:Galab Donev
Boyko Rashkov
Successor4:Atanas Pekanov
Office5:Co-Leader of We Continue the Change
Alongside5:Kiril Petkov
Term Start5:19 September 2021
Predecessor5:Position established
Office6:Minister of Economy, Energy and Tourism
Term Start6:13 March 2013
Term End6:29 May 2013
Primeminister6:Marin Raykov
Predecessor6:Delyan Dobrev
Successor6:Dragomir Stoynev
Birth Name:Asen Vaskov Vasilev
Birth Date:9 September 1977
Birth Place:Haskovo, PR Bulgaria
Party:We Continue the Change
Alma Mater:Harvard University

Asen Vaskov Vasilev (Bulgarian: Асен Васков Василев; born 9 September 1977) is a Bulgarian politician, economist, and entrepreneur. He is the co-leader of We Continue the Change, a political movement he co-founded with Kiril Petkov.[1] He has served as the Minister of Finance of the Republic of Bulgaria from June 2023 to April 2024, when the government resigned.

Education

Vasilev earned a degree in economics from Harvard University in 2000 and continued studies at Harvard Business School.[2] [3] [4]

Professional career

Vasilev is a co-founder and president of Everbeard, an airline ticket pricing company. It is partly funded by the Singapore National Research Fund and the first Skype investor.[5]

Vasilev was the co-founder and director of the Centre for Economic Strategy and Competitiveness. He is a lecturer in the Program for Economic Growth and Development, a branch of Sofia University "St. Kliment Ohridski” and with the Centre for Strategy and Competitiveness of Harvard Business School.[6]

From 1999 to 2004, Vasilev worked as a consultant for Monitor Group in the US, Canada, Europe, and South Africa. He managed marketing and strategic development projects for large international companies in the fields of telecommunications, energy, mining, insurance, and several major consumer goods manufacturers.[7]

Political career

In 2013 Vasilev was Minister of Economy, Energy and Tourism in the caretaker government of Marin Raykov. From 12 May to 16 September 2021, he was Minister of Finance in the caretaker government of Stefan Yanev.

On 19 September 2021, together with Kiril Petkov, Vasilev presented his new political project "We continue the change".[8] [9] He was the leader of the party list in Haskovo and Sofia 23 for the 2021 Bulgarian general election on 14 November.[10] The party won the most seats in the new parliament and formed a coalition government on 13 December 2021.

Vasilev became Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance in the short-lived Petkov government.[11] [12]

The Petkov government's mandate ended in late June 2022 after Prime Minister Kiril Petkov resigned following a no-confidence vote, and on 1 July President Rumen Radev asked Vasilev to form a new government.[13]

One week later as prescribed by the constitution Vasilev informed the president that his party only had the support of 117 members, falling four short of the majority. "Unfortunately, we failed to gather enough support to implement the politics that our...government would have wanted to push through. We could not get the support needed to rid Bulgaria of corruption and make the state work for the people, instead of channeling taxpayers’ money into a few select companies that can use it to corrupt the political class. We hope that in the next elections, the additional four deputies will be elected by the people."[14]

In May 2024 Vassilev became embroiled in a scandal revealed when someone leaked wiretaps of conversations that should have remained private.[15]

Other activities

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Bulgarian election: Kiril Petkov, Assen Vassilev, a battle-bus and a brand new party. Nick Thorpe. 17 November 2021. 31 January 2022. BBC.
  2. Web site: Кой е Асен Василев - служебен министър на финансите - България. Who is Asen Vassilev - Minister of Finance. 2021-05-11. 2021-11-18. dariknews.bg. bg.
  3. Web site: Евроком. Телевизия. Кой е служебният финансов министър Асен Василев. Who is the caretaker Minister of Finance Asen Vassilev. 2021-11-18. Телевизия Евроком. bg.
  4. Web site: The Harvard Name Shouldn't Have Decided Bulgaria's Election Opinion The Harvard Crimson . 2022-05-13 . www.thecrimson.com.
  5. Web site: Кой е служебният финансов министър Асен Василев. Who is the caretaker Minister of Finance Asen Vassilev. 2021-05-11. 2021-11-18. bg. www.24chasa.bg. 24 Chasa.
  6. Web site: Who Is Who: Bulgaria's Caretaker Economy Minister Assen Vassilev - Novinite.com - Sofia News Agency. 2013-03-12. 2021-11-18. www.novinite.com. Novinite.
  7. Web site: Council of Ministers of the Republic of Bulgaria :: CABINET:: CABINET MEMBERS:: Assen Vassilev - Deputy Prime Minister for EU Funds and Minister of Finance . 2022-05-13 . www.gov.bg.
  8. Web site: Стоянов. Михаил. 2021-09-19. Политическото напрежение: след заплахи шефът на приходната агенция вече е с охрана. 2021-11-18. Dnevnik. bg.
  9. Web site: Кирил Петков и Асен Василев правят партия? Да обобщим фактите.. Are Kiril Petkov and Asen Vassilev partying? Let's summarize the facts.. 2021-08-30. 2021-11-18. DW.COM. Deutsche Welle. Emilia Milcheva. bg-BG.
  10. Web site: АСЕН ВАСИЛЕВ - Водач на листата в Хасково и София 23 МИР. ASEN VASSILEV - Leader of the list in Haskovo and Sofia 23 MIR. 2021-11-18. Продължаваме Промяната. bg. We Continue the Change.
  11. Web site: Assen Vassilev - Deputy Prime Minister:EU Funds/Minister:Finance, Republic of Bulgaria. Bloomberg News. 31 January 2022.
  12. Web site: Asen Vassilev: Each Party will have a Deputy Prime Minister. 8 December 2021. www.novinite.com. Novinite. 31 January 2022.
  13. News: Bulgarian Finance Minister Handed Mandate To Form Government . Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty . 1 July 2022.
  14. News: Bulgaria Party Fails To Form Coalition, Bringing Country Closer To New Elections . Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty . 8 July 2022.
  15. News: https://www.euractiv.com/section/politics/news/wiretapping-scandal-rocks-election-campaign-in-bulgaria/.
  16. http://www.ebrd.com/shareholders-and-board-of-governors.html Board of Governors