President of Bulgaria. Historian for formation, he was Director of the Centre for Historical and Political research at the Supreme Council of the BSP (Bulgarian Socialist Party) in 1989. In 1994 he served as Chairman of the Parliamentary Group for Friendship with Greece and Member of the Parliamentary Committee on Radio and Television. He was Deputy Chairman of the BSP Supreme Council, which he chaired in 1996. He was Chairman of the Parliamentary Group of the Democratic left and the Coalition for Bulgaria Parliamentary Group from 1997 to 2001. In 2000 he was Chairman of the Council for European Integration. He was then elected President of the Republic of Bulgaria in November 2001 and re-elected in 2006.