Stefan Yanev

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This article is about the Bulgarian politician and general. For the Bulgarian footballer, see Stefan Yanev (footballer).
Stefan Yanev
Стефан Янев
Stefan Yanev.jpg
Minister of Defence
In office
13 December 2021 – 1 March 2022
Prime MinisterKiril Petkov
Preceded byGeorgi Panayotov
Succeeded by
In office
27 January 2017 – 4 May 2017
Prime MinisterOgnyan Gerdzhikov
Preceded byNikolay Nenchev
Succeeded byKrasimir Karakachanov
Prime Minister of Bulgaria
In office
12 May 2021 – 13 December 2021
PresidentRumen Radev
Preceded byBoyko Borisov
Succeeded byKiril Petkov
Personal details
Born
Стефан Динчев Янев
Stefan Dinchev Yanev

(1960-03-01) 1 March 1960 (age 62)
Popovitsa, Plovdiv, Bulgaria
NationalityBulgarian
Political partyIndependent
Military service
Allegiance Bulgaria
Branch/serviceBulgarian People's Army (until 1989)
Bulgarian Land Forces (1989–2014)
Years of service1979–2014
RankBrigadier general
CommandsArtillery division

Stefan Dinchev Yanev (Bulgarian: Стефан Динчев Янев, born 1 March 1960) is a Bulgarian Army officer and Brigade general who served as deputy prime minister and minister of defence from January to May 2017 in the then caretaker government. He served as caretaker Prime Minister of Bulgaria from 12 May to 13 December 2021.[1][2][3] He served from 13 December 2021 to 1 March 2022 as minister of defence in the following regular government.

Early life and military career[]

He was born on 1 March 1960 in Popovitsa, near Sadovo in Plovdiv Province. In 1979, he graduated from the Technical High School of Electrical Engineering in Plovdiv. Yanev graduated from the artillery military school in Shumen (now a faculty of the Vasil Levski National Military University) and began building a career in the army in 1983, when he was appointed commander of an artillery platoon in Asenovgrad.[4]

He was a commander of rocket artillery division in the 4th Army Artillery Regiment in Asenovgrad (1993-1996). Between 1996 and 1998 he was a senior expert in the International Cooperation Department of the Ministry of Defense. He worked as an analysis officer at the PfP Coordination Group's Planning and Programming Department in Belgium (1998-2000). From 2000 to 2001 he was a senior assistant chief in the Strategic Planning Department of the General Staff of the Bulgarian Army. Between 2001 and 2002 he was a state expert in the Euro-Atlantic Integration Directorate in the Ministry of Defense.[5] Until 2004 he was head of a department in the Euro-Atlantic Integration Directorate in the Ministry of Defense.

High posts[]

He graduated from the National Defense University in Washington. From 2005 to 2007, he was Head of the Transformation Department at the NATO Counter-Terrorism Center in Ankara. From 2007-2010, he was the Director of the Defense Policy Directorate at the Ministry of Defense. On 1 July 2009, he was appointed Director of the Security and Defense Policy Directorate and awarded the rank of Brigadier General. On 3 May 2010 he was appointed Director of the Defense Policy Directorate, effective as of 25 May On 24 February 2011 he was relieved of his post, serving later as the military attaché to the United States.

On 2 May 2014, he became the head of the Vasil Levski National Military University. He was relieved on the ninth of the following month, as well as dismissed from military service, as of 9 June 2014.

Civilian career (2017–2022)[]

From 27 January to 4 May 2017 he was Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defence of the Republic of Bulgaria in the caretaker government of Ognyan Gerdzhikov, and subsequently Secretary of Security and Defence of President Rumen Radev.

Prime Minister (2021)[]

See also: First Yanev Government and Second Yanev Government

He was appointed to the post of Prime Minister of Bulgaria by President Rumen Radev on 12 May 2021, succeeding Boyko Borisov. He has served since 13 December again as minister of Defence in the following regular government.

Minister of Defence (2021-2022)[]

In February 2022, a number of statements made by Yanev diverged from the official position of the Bulgarian government, in particular his call not to use the word "war" to characterize the Russian invasion of Ukraine and instead characterize it as a "military intervention", which was criticised as echoing the language of Russian President Vladimir Putin[6] and resulted in protests calling for his resignation[7] as well as counter-protests in his favor.[8] The event ultimately led to his dismissal on 28 February by Prime minister Kiril Petkov, who stated that "No minister in this government has the right to his own foreign policy, especially on Facebook".[9][10]

On 1 March 2022, the National Assembly elected Dragomir Zakov as Minister of Defence, replacing Yanev.

Military ranks[]

  • Lieutenant (1983)
  • Senior Lieutenant (1985)
  • Captain (1989)
  • Major (1994)
  • Lieutenant Colonel (1999)
  • Colonel (2004)
  • Brigadier General (2009)

References[]

  1. ^ "Who Is Stefan Yanev - New Bulgarian Caretaker Prime Minister?". www.novinite.com. 11 May 2021.
  2. ^ "Bułgaria: Prezydent: przywrócenie zaufania do instytucji państwa najważniejszym zadaniem rządu - rynki zagraniczne". wnp.pl (in Polish). Retrieved 2021-05-13.
  3. ^ "Bulgarian President Radev names Stefan Yanev caretaker PM". The Sofia Globe. 2021-05-11. Retrieved 2021-05-13.
  4. ^ (PDF) https://www.mod.bg/bg/doc/biography/ministry_sa_op.pdf. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  5. ^ Андон Дончев, Генералите от ракетните войски и артилерия на сухопътните войски на България, Изд. Авангард Прима, 2018, ISBN 9786192391089, с. 326.
  6. ^ Lavchiev, Nikolay; Mitov, Boris (28 February 2022). ""Ужасно неадекватно". Защо името на Стефан Янев вече върви заедно с думата "оставка"". svobodnaevropa.bg (in Bulgarian). Retrieved 28 February 2022.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  7. ^ "Протестиращи поискаха оставката на Стефан Янев". btvnovinite.bg (in Bulgarian). 25 February 2022. Retrieved 28 February 2022.
  8. ^ "Два протеста в защита на Стефан Янев, „Възраждане" поиска оставката на цялото правителство". tribune.bg (in Bulgarian). 28 February 2022. Retrieved 28 February 2022.
  9. ^ "Bulgaria sacks defence minister for saying Ukraine invasion was not a 'war'". euronews.com. 28 February 2022. Retrieved 28 February 2022.
  10. ^ Oliver, Christian (28 February 2022). "Bulgarian PM fires defense minister for promoting Putin's spin". politico.eu. Retrieved 28 February 2022.
Political offices
Preceded by Minister of Defence
2017 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Prime Minister of Bulgaria
2021 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Minister of Defence
2021−2022 		Succeeded by
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