Andrey Lukanov
| Andrey Lukanov Андрей Луканов |
|
|---|---|
| 40th Prime Minister of Bulgaria | |
|
In office 3 February 1990 – 7 December 1990 |
|
| President |
Petar Mladenov Zhelyu Zhelev |
| Preceded by | Georgi Atanasov |
| Succeeded by | Dimitar Popov |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 26 September 1938 Moscow, USSR |
| Died | 2 October 1996 (aged 58) Sofia, Bulgaria |
| Political party |
Bulgarian Socialist Party (1990-1996) Bulgarian Communist Party (1963-1990) |
| Religion |
Atheism prev. Bulgarian Orthodox |
Andrey Karlov Lukanov (Bulgarian: Андрей Карлов Луканов) (September 26, 1938 - October 2, 1996) was a Bulgarian politician. He was the last communist Prime Minister of Bulgaria.
Lukanov was born in Moscow, USSR, in the family of Karlo Lukanov, (1897-1982), a Bulgarian communist émigré. Lukanov's family moved back to Bulgaria after the communist takeover of 1944 when Lukanov was only 6 years old. His father became an important figure in the party and served as foreign minister of Bulgaria from 1956 to 1961.
Andrey became a member of the party in 1963 and began a career in the foreign service. He helped represent Bulgaria in the United Nations and Comecon. He rose through the ranks of the foreign service to become minister of foreign economic affairs in 1987, resigning in 1989. Lukanov became a leading member of the reformist wing of the BCP, and took part in the overthrow of longtime leader Todor Zhivkov. He became prime minister on February 3, 1990; serving until December 7, 1990. Midway through his tenure, the Communist Party rebranded itself as the Bulgarian Socialist Party. He oversaw the first democratic elections in Bulgaria since 1931 in June. His party won and was able to continue to govern.
He offered to form a coalition with the opposition but they repeatedly rejected his offers, arguing that the former Communist Party must shoulder responsibility for past political crimes and the rapidly deteriorating economy. His years in office were marked by corruption, huge consumer goods deficit, and civil unrest. Finally in December, after large demonstrations and a general strike, Lukanov resigned, allowing a technocratic government to be formed by Dimitar Popov.
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