Krasimir Karakachanov

Krasimir Donchev Karakachanov (Bulgarian: Красимир Дончев Каракачанов [krɐsiˈmir kɐˈrakɐt͡ʃanof]; born 29 March 1965) is a Bulgarian politician. He is currently the leader of the IMRO – Bulgarian National Movement[1] and Minister of Defence.[2]

Krasimir Karakachanov
Minister of Defence
Incumbent
Assumed office 4 May 2017
Prime Minister	Boyko Borisov
Preceded by	Stefan Yanev
Vice Chairperson of the National Assembly of Bulgaria
In office 27 October 2014 – 26 January 2017
Personal details
Born	29 March 1965 Ruse, Bulgaria
Nationality	Bulgarian
Political party	United Patriots (2016–present) Patriotic Front (2014–2017) IMRO (after 1991)
Alma mater	Sofia University "St. Kliment Ohridski", South-West University "Neofit Rilski"
Profession	Balkan historian, politician

Biography

Krasimir Karakachanov claims that he does not have any roots from the Macedonian region, but as a historian he became a specialist on the Macedonian issue.[3] Karakachanov was a candidate in the 2016 and 2011 presidential election, winning 15% and 1% of all votes cast and placed 3rd and 10th respectively.[4] Karakachanov took part in the 2014 European elections as part of a coalition bloc with the Bulgaria without Censorship political party.[5] In late July 2014, Karakachanov's IMRO left the coalition to form a Patriotic Front electoral alliance together with Valeri Simeonov's National Front for the Salvation of Bulgaria.[6] With Simeonov, he is the co-spokesman for the electoral bloc.

Before 1989, during the communist era, Karakachanov, being a historian, was an informer of the Committee for State Security on Macedonian nationalism.[7][8]

Karakachanov stood as the candidate of the United Patriots coalition in the 2016 presidential election, with the MP Yavor Notev of Attack as his vice presidential candidate. They finished in third place with 573,016 votes or 14.97%.

Controversies

Karakachanov, who is currently Bulgarian deputy prime minister, used “unsocialized gypsies” to describe Roma in Bulgaria, a term critics said resembled Nazi terminology of “asocial gypsies.”[9]

References

1. "Дедовите червенотиквеничета". webcafe.bg (in Bulgarian). 10 February 2014. Retrieved 31 March 2014.
2. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2015-07-13. Retrieved 2017-06-17.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
3. "Красимир Каракачанов, депутат, лидер на ВМРО: Кандидатурата на Беронов е с предизвестен крах".
4. "Гласове за избиране на президент и вицепрезидент" (in Bulgarian). cik.bg. 2011. Archived from the original on 31 March 2014. Retrieved 31 March 2014.
5. "България без цензура", ВМРО и ЗНС вече официално са коалиция" (in Bulgarian). standartnews.com. 16 March 2014. Retrieved 17 May 2014.
6. "ВМРО реши да напусне Бареков заради съюз с НФСБ" (in Bulgarian). mediapool.bg. 24 July 2014. Retrieved 12 August 2014.
7. "The candidate of the ruling party, Rossen Plevneliev, running favourite in the presidential election in Bulgaria just one week before the vote". The European Elections Monitor. Fondation Robert Schuman. 17 October 2010.
8. "Four of Bulgaria's presidential candidates were communist-era State Security collaborators". The Sofia Echo. 27 September 2011.
9. Kingsley, Patrick; Dzhambazova, Boryana (2020-07-06). "Europe's Roma Already Faced Discrimination. The Pandemic Made It Worse". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2020-07-07.