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| office = [[Ministry of Finance (Bulgaria)|Minister of Finance]]
| office = [[Ministry of Finance (Bulgaria)|Minister of Finance]]
| term_start = 6 June 2023
| term_start = 6 June 2023
| term_end =
| term_end = 9 April 2024
| primeminister = [[Nikolai Denkov]]
| primeminister = [[Nikolai Denkov]]
| predecessor = [[Rositsa Velkova-Zheleva]]
| predecessor = [[Rositsa Velkova-Zheleva|Rositsa Velkova]]
| successor =
| successor = Lyudmila Petkova
| term_start1 = 13 December 2021
| term_start1 = 13 December 2021
| term_end1 = 2 August 2022
| term_end1 = 2 August 2022
Line 22: Line 22:
| predecessor2 = Kiril Ananiev
| predecessor2 = Kiril Ananiev
| successor2 = Valery Beltchev
| successor2 = Valery Beltchev
| office3 = Deputy Prime Minister of Bulgaria
| office3 = [[National Assembly (Bulgaria)|Member of the National Assembly]]
| term_start3 = 13 December 2021
| term_start3 = 19 October 2022
| term_end3 = 2 August 2022
| term_end3 = 6 June 2023
| primeminister3 = [[Kiril Petkov]]
| constituency3 = [[29th MMC - Haskovo]]
| office4 = [[Government of Bulgaria|Deputy Prime Minister of Bulgaria]]
| alongside3 = [[Kalina Konstantinova]], [[Korneliya Ninova]], [[Grozdan Karadzhov]] and [[Borislav Sandov]]
| predecessor3 =
| term_start4 = 13 December 2021
| successor3 =
| term_end4 = 2 August 2022
| primeminister4 = [[Kiril Petkov]]
⚫
| office4 = [[We Continue the Change|Co-Leader of We Continue the Change]]
| alongside4 = [[Kiril Petkov]]
| alongside4 = [[Kalina Konstantinova]], [[Korneliya Ninova]], [[Grozdan Karadzhov]] and [[Borislav Sandov]]
| term_start4 = 19 September 2021
| predecessor4 = [[Galab Donev]]<br>[[Boyko Rashkov]]
| term_end4 =
| successor4 = [[Atanas Pekanov]]
⚫
| office5 = [[We Continue the Change|Co-Leader of We Continue the Change]]
| predecessor4 = ''Position established''
| successor4 =
| alongside5 = [[Kiril Petkov]]
| term_start5 = 19 September 2021
⚫
| office5 = [[Ministry of Economy, Energy and Tourism (Bulgaria)|Minister of Economy, Energy and Tourism]]
| term_start5 = 13 March 2013
| term_end5 =
| term_end5 = 29 May 2013
| predecessor5 = ''Position established''
| primeminister5 = [[Marin Raykov]]
| successor5 =
⚫
| office6 = [[Ministry of Economy, Energy and Tourism (Bulgaria)|Minister of Economy, Energy and Tourism]]
⚫
| predecessor5 = Delyan Dobrev
| successor5 = Dragomir Stoynev
| term_start6 = 13 March 2013
| term_end6 = 29 May 2013
| primeminister6 = [[Marin Raykov]]
⚫
| predecessor6 = [[Delyan Dobrev]]
| successor6 = [[Dragomir Stoynev]]
| birth_name = Asen Vaskov Vasilev
| birth_name = Asen Vaskov Vasilev
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1977|9|9|df=yes}}
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1977|9|9|df=yes}}
| birth_place = [[Haskovo]], Bulgaria
| birth_place = [[Haskovo]], [[People’s Republic of Bulgaria|PR Bulgaria]]
| party = [[We Continue the Change]]
| party = [[We Continue the Change]]
| spouse =
| spouse =
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}}
}}


'''Asen Vaskov Vasilev''' ({{lang-bg|Асен Васков Василев}}; born 9 September 1977) is a Bulgarian politician, economist, and entrepreneur. He is the co-leader of [[We Continue the Change]], a political movement he co-founded with [[Kiril Petkov]].<ref name=bulgelect>{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-59302595|title=Bulgarian election: Kiril Petkov, Assen Vassilev, a battle-bus and a brand new party|author=[[Nick Thorpe]]|date=17 November 2021|access-date=31 January 2022|publisher=[[BBC]]}}</ref> Since 6 June 2023 he has served as the Minister of Finance of the [[Bulgaria|Republic of Bulgaria]].
'''Asen Vaskov Vasilev''' ({{lang-bg|Асен Васков Василев}}; born 9 September 1977) is a Bulgarian politician, economist, and entrepreneur. He is the co-leader of [[We Continue the Change]], a political movement he co-founded with [[Kiril Petkov]].<ref name=bulgelect>{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-59302595|title=Bulgarian election: Kiril Petkov, Assen Vassilev, a battle-bus and a brand new party|author=[[Nick Thorpe]]|date=17 November 2021|access-date=31 January 2022|publisher=[[BBC]]}}</ref> He has served as the Minister of Finance of the [[Bulgaria|Republic of Bulgaria]] from June 2023 to April 2024, when the government resigned.


== Education ==
== Education ==
Vasilev earned a degree in economics from [[Harvard University]] in 2000 and continued studies at Harvard Business School.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Кой е Асен Василев - служебен министър на финансите - България|url=https://dariknews.bg/novini/bylgariia/koj-e-asen-vasilev-sluzheben-ministyr-na-finansite-2270016|trans-title=Who is Asen Vassilev - Minister of Finance|date=2021-05-11|access-date=2021-11-18|website=dariknews.bg|language=bg}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|last=Евроком|first=Телевизия|title=Кой е служебният финансов министър Асен Василев|url=https://eurocom.bg/new/koy-e-sluzhebniyat-finansov-ministr-asen-vasilev|trans-title=Who is the caretaker Minister of Finance Asen Vassilev|access-date=2021-11-18|website=Телевизия Евроком|language=bg}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=The Harvard Name Shouldn't Have Decided Bulgaria’s Election {{!}} Opinion {{!}} The Harvard Crimson |url=https://www.thecrimson.com/article/2021/12/2/harvard-name-bulgaria-election/ |access-date=2022-05-13 |website=www.thecrimson.com}}</ref>
Vasilev earned a degree in economics from [[Harvard University]] in 2000 and continued studies at Harvard Business School.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Кой е Асен Василев - служебен министър на финансите - България|url=https://dariknews.bg/novini/bylgariia/koj-e-asen-vasilev-sluzheben-ministyr-na-finansite-2270016|trans-title=Who is Asen Vassilev - Minister of Finance|date=2021-05-11|access-date=2021-11-18|website=dariknews.bg|language=bg}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|last=Евроком|first=Телевизия|title=Кой е служебният финансов министър Асен Василев|url=https://eurocom.bg/new/koy-e-sluzhebniyat-finansov-ministr-asen-vasilev|trans-title=Who is the caretaker Minister of Finance Asen Vassilev|access-date=2021-11-18|website=Телевизия Евроком|language=bg}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=The Harvard Name Shouldn't Have Decided Bulgaria's Election {{!}} Opinion {{!}} The Harvard Crimson |url=https://www.thecrimson.com/article/2021/12/2/harvard-name-bulgaria-election/ |access-date=2022-05-13 |website=www.thecrimson.com}}</ref>


== Professional career ==
== Professional career ==
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One week later as prescribed by the constitution Vasilev informed the president that his party only had the support of 117 members, falling four short of the majority. "Unfortunately, we failed to gather enough support to implement the politics that our...government would have wanted to push through. We could not get the support needed to rid Bulgaria of corruption and make the state work for the people, instead of channeling taxpayers’ money into a few select companies that can use it to corrupt the political class. We hope that in the next elections, the additional four deputies will be elected by the people."<ref name="rfebp">{{cite news |title=Bulgaria Party Fails To Form Coalition, Bringing Country Closer To New Elections |url=https://www.rferl.org/a/bulgaria-coalition-government-fails-vassilev-pp/31935175.html |publisher=Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty |date=8 July 2022}}</ref>
One week later as prescribed by the constitution Vasilev informed the president that his party only had the support of 117 members, falling four short of the majority. "Unfortunately, we failed to gather enough support to implement the politics that our...government would have wanted to push through. We could not get the support needed to rid Bulgaria of corruption and make the state work for the people, instead of channeling taxpayers’ money into a few select companies that can use it to corrupt the political class. We hope that in the next elections, the additional four deputies will be elected by the people."<ref name="rfebp">{{cite news |title=Bulgaria Party Fails To Form Coalition, Bringing Country Closer To New Elections |url=https://www.rferl.org/a/bulgaria-coalition-government-fails-vassilev-pp/31935175.html |publisher=Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty |date=8 July 2022}}</ref>


In May 2024 Vassilev became embroiled in a scandal revealed when someone leaked wiretaps of conversations that should have remained private.<ref name="eura3">{{cite news |url=https://www.euractiv.com/section/politics/news/wiretapping-scandal-rocks-election-campaign-in-bulgaria/}}</ref>
== Euro adoption skeptic ==
According to Vasilev, the prospect of Bulgaria joining the Eurozone in 2025 is hardly realistic.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Ikonomov|first=Dragomir|title=Asen Vassilev: Within 2 weeks Bulgaria will have a Draft Budget 2023 with a 3% Deficit|url=https://www.novinite.com/articles/220408/Asen+Vassilev%3A+Within+2+weeks+Bulgaria+will+have+a+Draft+Budget+2023+with+a+3+Deficit|access-date=2023-10-01|website=Novinite|language=en}}</ref> Vasilev has courted euroskeptic sentiment aimed at blocking the country’s deeper integration in the European Union and adopting the bloc’s single currency. In his view Bulgaria is not ready to adopt the euro due to a high level of inflation and endemic corruption.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Okov|first=Slav|title=Bulgarian Finance Chief Says Russia Trying to Block Path to Euro|url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2023-09-29/bulgarian-finance-chief-says-russia-trying-to-block-path-to-euro#xj4y7vzkg|access-date=2023-09-30|website=Bloomberg|language=en}}</ref>

== Controversies ==

=== Alleged fraud ===
Some former business partners have accused Vasilev of theft of intellectual property and illegal business practices.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Bulgarian National|first=Radio|title=ITN with serious accusations against Finance Minister Assen Vassilev|url=https://bnr.bg/en/post/101505512/itn-with-serious-accusations-against-finance-minister-assen-vassilev|access-date=2023-09-29|website=BNR|language=en}}</ref>
<blockquote>“He is a fraud, but he is very, very smart. Extremely smart. We invested 15-20 million euros to develop the software, we had between 30 and 50 programmers in Bulgaria. He deceived not only me but also his friends. I was stupid and naive, and I believed him. He and several programmers took the code and went to China and sold it to the Chinese government after I found these customers. The software was owned by the company, and he just took it and sold it himself.”</blockquote><ref>{{Cite web|last=Bulgarian National|first=Television|title=Investors accuse Asen Vassilev of fraud, he categorically denies|url=https://www.world-today-news.com/investors-accuse-asen-vassilev-of-fraud-he-categorically-denies/|access-date=2023-09-29|website=BTV|language=en}}</ref>

=== Support for [[Lukoil]] ===
Vasilev was the main proponent for giving the [[Lukoil]] refinery in [[Burgas]] a derogation to continue using Russian oil. Thanks to him, Bulgaria has a two-year exemption from the EU's embargo on Russian oil to continue buying Russian crude until December 2024. The crude supplies the Russian company Lukoil's 190,000 b/d Neftohim refinery near the [[Black Sea]] port of [[Burgas]].<ref>{{Cite web|last=Global Insights|first=S&P|title=Bulgaria in talks for early end to Russian crude imports for Lukoil refinery|url=https://www.spglobal.com/commodityinsights/en/market-insights/latest-news/shipping/082223-bulgaria-in-talks-for-early-end-to-russian-crude-imports-for-lukoil-refinery#:~:text=Bulgaria%20has%20a%20two-year%20exemption%20from%20the%20EU%27s,refinery%20near%20the%20Black%20Sea%20port%20of%20Burgas.|access-date=2023-10-04|website=S&P Global Insights|language=en}}</ref>


== Other activities ==
== Other activities ==

Revision as of 19:07, 28 May 2024

Asen Vasilev
Асен Василев
Vasilev in 2021
Minister of Finance
In office
6 June 2023 – 9 April 2024
Prime MinisterNikolai Denkov
Preceded byRositsa Velkova
Succeeded byLyudmila Petkova
In office
13 December 2021 – 2 August 2022
Prime MinisterKiril Petkov
Preceded byValery Beltchev
Succeeded byRositsa Velkova-Zheleva
In office
12 May 2021 – 16 September 2021
Prime MinisterStefan Yanev
Preceded byKiril Ananiev
Succeeded byValery Beltchev
Member of the National Assembly
In office
19 October 2022 – 6 June 2023
Constituency29th MMC - Haskovo
Deputy Prime Minister of Bulgaria
In office
13 December 2021 – 2 August 2022
Prime MinisterKiril Petkov
Preceded byGalab Donev
Boyko Rashkov
Succeeded byAtanas Pekanov
Co-Leader of We Continue the Change
Incumbent
Assumed office
19 September 2021
Serving with Kiril Petkov
Preceded byPosition established
Minister of Economy, Energy and Tourism
In office
13 March 2013 – 29 May 2013
Prime MinisterMarin Raykov
Preceded byDelyan Dobrev
Succeeded byDragomir Stoynev
Personal details
Born
Asen Vaskov Vasilev

(1977-09-09) 9 September 1977 (age 46)
Haskovo, PR Bulgaria
Political partyWe Continue the Change
Alma materHarvard University
Occupation
  • Politician
  • economist
  • entrepreneur

Asen Vaskov Vasilev (Bulgarian: Асен Васков Василев; born 9 September 1977) is a Bulgarian politician, economist, and entrepreneur. He is the co-leader of We Continue the Change, a political movement he co-founded with Kiril Petkov.[1] He has served as the Minister of Finance of the Republic of Bulgaria from June 2023 to April 2024, when the government resigned.

Bildung

Vasilev earned a degree in economics from Harvard University in 2000 and continued studies at Harvard Business School.[2][3][4]

Professional career

Vasilev is a co-founder and president of Everbeard, an airline ticket pricing company. It is partly funded by the Singapore National Research Fund and the first Skype investor.[5]

Vasilev was the co-founder and director of the Centre for Economic Strategy and Competitiveness. He is a lecturer in the Program for Economic Growth and Development, a branch of Sofia University "St. Kliment Ohridski” and with the Centre for Strategy and Competitiveness of Harvard Business School.[6]

From 1999 to 2004, Vasilev worked as a consultant for Monitor Group in the US, Canada, Europe, and South Africa. He managed marketing and strategic development projects for large international companies in the fields of telecommunications, energy, mining, insurance, and several major consumer goods manufacturers.[7]

Political career

In 2013 Vasilev was Minister of Economy, Energy and Tourism in the caretaker government of Marin Raykov. From 12 May to 16 September 2021, he was Minister of Finance in the caretaker government of Stefan Yanev.

On 19 September 2021, together with Kiril Petkov, Vasilev presented his new political project "We continue the change".[8][9] He was the leader of the party list in Haskovo and Sofia 23 for the 2021 Bulgarian general election on 14 November.[10] The party won the most seats in the new parliament and formed a coalition government on 13 December 2021.

Vasilev became Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance in the short-lived Petkov government.[11][12]

The Petkov government's mandate ended in late June 2022 after Prime Minister Kiril Petkov resigned following a no-confidence vote, and on 1 July President Rumen Radev asked Vasilev to form a new government.[13]

One week later as prescribed by the constitution Vasilev informed the president that his party only had the support of 117 members, falling four short of the majority. "Unfortunately, we failed to gather enough support to implement the politics that our...government would have wanted to push through. We could not get the support needed to rid Bulgaria of corruption and make the state work for the people, instead of channeling taxpayers’ money into a few select companies that can use it to corrupt the political class. We hope that in the next elections, the additional four deputies will be elected by the people."[14]

In May 2024 Vassilev became embroiled in a scandal revealed when someone leaked wiretaps of conversations that should have remained private.[15]

Other activities

References

  1. ^ Nick Thorpe (17 November 2021). "Bulgarian election: Kiril Petkov, Assen Vassilev, a battle-bus and a brand new party". BBC. Retrieved 31 January 2022.
  2. ^ "Кой е Асен Василев - служебен министър на финансите - България" [Who is Asen Vassilev - Minister of Finance]. dariknews.bg (in Bulgarian). 11 May 2021. Retrieved 18 November 2021.
  3. ^ Евроком, Телевизия. "Кой е служебният финансов министър Асен Василев" [Who is the caretaker Minister of Finance Asen Vassilev]. Телевизия Евроком (in Bulgarian). Retrieved 18 November 2021.
  4. ^ "The Harvard Name Shouldn't Have Decided Bulgaria's Election | Opinion | The Harvard Crimson". www.thecrimson.com. Retrieved 13 May 2022.
  5. ^ "Кой е служебният финансов министър Асен Василев" [Who is the caretaker Minister of Finance Asen Vassilev]. www.24chasa.bg (in Bulgarian). 24 Chasa. 11 May 2021. Retrieved 18 November 2021.
  6. ^ "Who Is Who: Bulgaria's Caretaker Economy Minister Assen Vassilev - Novinite.com - Sofia News Agency". www.novinite.com. Novinite. 12 March 2013. Retrieved 18 November 2021.
  7. ^ "Council of Ministers of the Republic of Bulgaria :: CABINET:: CABINET MEMBERS:: Assen Vassilev - Deputy Prime Minister for EU Funds and Minister of Finance". www.gov.bg. Retrieved 13 May 2022.
  8. ^ Стоянов, Михаил (19 September 2021). "Политическото напрежение: след заплахи шефът на приходната агенция вече е с охрана" (in Bulgarian). Dnevnik. Retrieved 18 November 2021.
  9. ^ Emilia Milcheva (30 August 2021). "Кирил Петков и Асен Василев правят партия? Да обобщим фактите" [Are Kiril Petkov and Asen Vassilev partying? Let's summarize the facts.]. DW.COM (in Bulgarian). Deutsche Welle. Retrieved 18 November 2021.
  10. ^ "АСЕН ВАСИЛЕВ - Водач на листата в Хасково и София 23 МИР" [ASEN VASSILEV - Leader of the list in Haskovo and Sofia 23 MIR]. Продължаваме Промяната (in Bulgarian). We Continue the Change. Retrieved 18 November 2021.
  11. ^ "Assen Vassilev - Deputy Prime Minister:EU Funds/Minister:Finance, Republic of Bulgaria". Bloomberg News. Retrieved 31 January 2022.
  12. ^ "Asen Vassilev: Each Party will have a Deputy Prime Minister". www.novinite.com. Novinite. 8 December 2021. Retrieved 31 January 2022.
  13. ^ "Bulgarian Finance Minister Handed Mandate To Form Government". Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty. 1 July 2022.
  14. ^ "Bulgaria Party Fails To Form Coalition, Bringing Country Closer To New Elections". Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty. 8 July 2022.
  15. ^ https://www.euractiv.com/section/politics/news/wiretapping-scandal-rocks-election-campaign-in-bulgaria/. {{cite news}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  16. ^ Board of Governors European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD).
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