Tsvetan Tsvetanov

Tsvetan Genchev Tsvetanov (Цветан Генчев Цветанов; born 8 April 1965) is a Bulgarian politician and former government official. He served as the chairman of the GERB party until 2009. On 8 July 2009, following his party's victory in the 2009 parliamentary election, he was designated by de facto party leader Boyko Borisov as the future Minister of the Interior.

Tsvetanov's tenure as Minister of the Interior was marked by controversy. He eventually distanced himself from Borisov after facing pressure to resign from his leadership roles within the party. This was about his involvement in a real estate corruption scandal. As a result, Tsvetanov chose to leave the party and established his political party called Republicans for Bulgaria, alongside other former GERB members who had defected.

Career
Tsvetanov, born in Sofia, holds a degree from the National Sports Academy and a postgraduate degree in Law from the University of National and World Economy. He has also pursued specialized training, including courses on counteracting global terrorism and preventing illegal automobile trafficking at the headquarters of the National Police Corp in Madrid, Spain, as well as a management course at the International Law Enforcement Academy in Roswell, New Mexico. Additionally, he completed an introductory course at ILEA Budapest, Hungary, and law enforcement courses at the American FBI and Department of Homeland Security.

From 2001 to 2005, Tsvetanov served as operative assistant to Boyko Borisov, who was Chief Secretary of the Ministry of the Interior at the time. During this period, Tsvetanov also held the position of director of the ministry's management department. He remained an official at the Ministry of the Interior until 2005, when he left alongside Borisov, who faced accusations of collaborating with Organized crime while in that role. Following the establishment of GERB in 2006, Tsvetanov assumed the role of party chairman until 2009. As Borisov was unable to head GERB due to his position as the mayor of Sofia, Tsvetanov was seen as his closest associate. However, Borisov retained an informal leadership role within the party.

From July 2009 to March 2013, Tsvetanov served as Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior in the first government led by Boyko Borisov. During his tenure, Tsvetanov was crucial in neutralizing several notorious organized crime groups that had plagued Bulgarian society for years. Notably, the hit-and-run group "The Killers" was apprehended and sentenced to life in prison. In contrast, the kidnapping group "The Impudent" received a cumulative sentence of 444 years. Tsvetanov also focused on developing bilateral police cooperation with Bulgaria's NATO and EU partners. His efforts were recognized by the United States Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA), which opened an office in Sofia in 2013. The agency director, Michelle Lionhart, praised Tsvetanov's dedication and acknowledged his contribution to upholding the rule of law and ensuring the safety of citizens in both Bulgaria and the United States. . In recognition of his excellent international police cooperation, Tsvetanov received the Silver Cross for Civil Merit of the Civil Guard of Spain, Spain's highest law enforcement award. . The award was presented to him by Spain's Minister of Interior, Jorge Fernández Díaz. Tsvetanov was also honored as an Honorary Member of the Carabinieri Association for successful joint law enforcement operations with the Italian Carabinieri. One of the most challenging moments during Tsvetanov's tenure was the Burgas bus bombing on July 18, 2012, in which five Israeli and one Bulgarian citizen died. Thanks to the joint efforts of Bulgarian law enforcement authorities and the law enforcement services of Israel, the USA, Canada, Australia, and Europol, the perpetrators of the terrorist act were identified and brought to justice. Tsvetanov played a pivotal role in investigating the attack and the subsequent recognition of the military wing of Hezbollah as a terrorist organization. on July 22, 2013. His dedication and meticulous analysis earned him appreciation from 111 United States Congressmen, who thanked him and supported further action against Hezbollah. Due to his consistent and effective collaboration with the European Police Agency Europol, Tsvetanov was elected as a permanent representative in the Management Board of Europol's Joint Group for Parliamentary Control on September 25, 2018.

Tsvetanov served as the Chairman of the Standing Parliamentary Committee on Internal Security and Public Order in the 44th National Assembly.

He has been a Member of Parliament in the 41st, 42nd, 43rd, and 44th National Assemblies.

Real estate scandal
Tsvetanov's reputation faced scrutiny in 2011 when media reports surfaced regarding his ownership of multiple expensive properties in the capital city. The Tax Administration conducted an audit, which revealed that he possessed six apartments—an acquisition that appeared financially challenging for someone in public administration. Tsvetanov provided explanations regarding the origins of these apartments after entering politics in 2006, asserting that they were purchased by his mother-in-law. However, the tax case was reopened in June 2013 due to the emergence of new evidence suggesting that two of the apartments might have been gifted to him in exchange for a lucrative government contract.

Wiretapping scandal
In May 2013 Tsvetanov was indicted on two charges of wiretapping members of the GERB government and parliamentary deputies. In a television interview former agriculture minister Miroslav Naydenov confirmed the charges, describing instances when the wiretapping occurred. Tsvetanov has denied the claims by the general prosecutor, even though three members of the wiretapping unit at the Interior Ministry have independently confirmed them. A further charge on obstruction of justice was added in July 2013.

In May 2013, Tsvetanov faced indictments on two counts of Wiretapping members of the GERB government and parliamentary deputies. The charges were substantiated by former agriculture minister Miroslav Naydenov in a television interview, where he recounted specific instances of wiretapping. Despite the general prosecutor's claims, Tsvetanov has consistently denied these allegations. However, three members of the wiretapping unit at the Interior Ministry independently confirmed the existence of the wiretapping incidents. Additionally, in July 2013, Tsvet Former agriculture minister Miroslav Naydenov substantiated the charges and faced an additional charge of obstruction of justice.

Charges of embezzlement
Tsvetanov was charged with embezzling BGN 50000 from the Budget of the Ministry of Interior. "The sum was allegedly embezzled to the benefit of another person, Orlin Todorov, former head of the anti-mafia unit in Veliko Tarnovo." He was jailed for four years.

Apartment scandal and resignation
In 2019, Bulgarian media exposed an "Apartment Gate" scandal involving alleged corruption deals implicating government officials, including Tsvetanov. According to the reports, Tsvetanov was accused of accepting a luxury apartment in a prestigious building at a significantly reduced price, amounting to less than one-third of its market value. These allegations coincided with the ruling party; Tsvetanov faced internal repercussions due to mounting pressure. significant legislation that benefited the same company responsible for providing the apartments. This included permission for the construction of a 30-story Skyscraper in one of Sofia's esteemed neighborhoods. Despite the gravity of the allegations, the Bulgarian prosecution office declined to investigate the claims. An inquiry conducted by the office concluded that there was insufficient evidence to establish Tsvetanov's involvement in corruption or other criminal activities.

Nonetheless, due to mounting pressure, Tsvetanov faced internal repercussions within the GERB party. He was compelled to resign from his leadership positions by GERB leader Boyko Borisov and was subsequently demoted to an ordinary party member.

Formation of political party
In June 2020, Tsvetanov decided to sever ties with GERB completely and announced his departure from the party. He revealed his intention to establish his own political party, citing his disconnection from Borisov and expressing discontent with the perceived inconsistencies and chaos caused by Borisov's government. Later in the same year, Tsvetanov founded the Republicans for Bulgaria party, which he believed would face repression under Borisov's government. The party primarily consisted of former members of GERB who had defected and some individuals who had left other right-wing political parties to join Republicans for Bulgaria.

Personal life
Tsvetanov is married to Desislava and has three daughters - Gergana, Vasilena, and Sofia.