Boyko Borisov

Boyko Metodiev Borisov (Bulgarian: Бойко Методиев Борисов, IPA: [ˈbɔjko mɛˈtɔdiɛf boˈrisof]; born 13 June 1959) is a Bulgarian politician who served as the prime minister of Bulgaria from 2009 to 2013, 2014 to 2017, and 2017 to 2021, making him Bulgaria's second-longest serving prime minister to date.

Borisov was elected Mayor of Sofia in 2005. In December 2005, he was the founding chairman of the conservative political party Citizens for European Development of Bulgaria (GERB), becoming its lead candidate in the 2009 general election. Borisov led GERB to a landslide victory in 2009, defeating the incumbent Socialist Party, and resigned as mayor of Sofia to be sworn in as Prime Minister. He resigned in 2013, after nationwide protests against the government's energy policy, but after leading GERB to victory in the 2014 general election, he became Prime Minister again. His second term ended similarly to his first, after Borisov resigned in January 2017, this time following GERB's defeat in the 2016 presidential election. As before, Borisov led GERB to election victory again in the snap 2017 general election, becoming Prime Minister for a third time.

Under Borisov's cabinets Bulgaria saw improved macroeconomic stability and political stability while remaining the EU's poorest member, with nearly a quarter of its population below national poverty lines. Foreign direct investment fell and corruption have led as recently as June 2019 to repeated rejection of Bulgaria's attempts to join the Schengen Area. Electoral results for Borisov and his party were overshadowed by allegations of fraud in 2013, 2015, and in 2019 both locally and for the European Parliament. Judicial threats and attacks against journalists increased to the point where journalism in Bulgaria became "dangerous" according to Reporters Without Borders, which ranked Bulgaria 111th globally in press freedom in 2019. Former U.S. ambassador to Bulgaria James Pardew said in 2019 that a "national political environment with little government or criminal accountability and no serious opposition to challenge the current government" was in place as a result of collusion, corruption and stifling of the media under Borisov. On 17 March 2022, Borisov was detained after allegations of misuse of EU funds, he was released after spending 24 hours in prison.In 2013, while Prime Minister, Borisov became the oldest person ever to play for a Bulgarian professional club when he appeared for FC Vitosha Bistritsa in the B Group, the second division of Bulgarian football.