Alexander Lilov

Aleksandar Lilov Александър Лилов
Chairman of the Bulgarian Socialist Party
In office 3 April 1990 – December 1991
Preceded by	Himself as Chairman of the BCP
Succeeded by	Zhan Videnov
Chairman of the Bulgarian Communist Party
In office 2 February 1990 – 3 April 1990
Preceded by	Petar Mladenov (as General Secretary)
Succeeded by	Himself as Chairman of the BSP
Personal details
Born	Aleksandar Vasilev Lilov Александър Василев Лилов 31 August 1933 Granichak, Bulgaria
Died	20 July 2013(2013-07-20) (aged 79)
Political party	Bulgarian Socialist Party (1990-2013)
Other political affiliations	Bulgarian Communist Party (until 1990)
Alma mater	Sofia University (philosophy)

Aleksandar Lilov (Bulgarian: Александър Лилов) (31 August 1933 – 20 July 2013) was a Bulgarian politician and philosopher.

At his career's height during the People's Republic of Bulgaria he was described as the second most powerful man of the regime. However, he fell out of favor in 1983 and lost his power. He made a strong political comeback during the democratic transition and was elected chairman of the Bulgarian Communist Party. He led the party to transform and adapt to the post-communist era. A party referendum supported his proposal to change the name to the Bulgarian Socialist Party. After winning the first democratic elections he did not become prime minister himself, instead he eventually supported a multi-party government led by Dimitar Popov. After losing the 1991 parliamentary elections he stepped down as party leader. In 2001 he retired as MP after having served for 39 years. He died on August 20, 2013.

Aleksandar Lilov was born on 31 August 1933 in the village of Granichak, northwestern Vidin Province. He graduated Bulgarian Studies (philosophy) at Sofia University in 1962 and graduated doctoral studies in communist Social Science at the Academy of Public Sciences in Moscow. In 1975 he became an associate at the institution of art at the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences. Six years later, he defended a doctoral thesis in 1981.

Lilov joined the Dimitrov Young Communist League in Vidin and rose to the ranks of its central committee in 1963. Six years later he joined the central Party organ and in 1971 he became a prominent member of the Communist Party. Lilov was a member of the Politburo of the Central Committee of the Bulgarian Communist Party from July 1974 to September 1983 and was also a secretary of the Central Committee of the Party from July 1972 to September 28 1983. He was also a member of the State Council of Bulgaria from 1976 to 1983. By the end of the 70s he was viewed as the second most powerful member of the party. After the death of Lyudmila Zhivkova (General Secretary Todor Zhivkov's daughter) in 1981, Lilov's power began to wane. In 1983 he was removed from the Politburo after criticizing the General Secretary for his economic mismanagement and apparent lack of interest in current issues.

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