Southeast Europe or Southeastern Europe is a relatively recent political designation mostly for the states of the Balkans.^[1][2] Writers such as Maria Todorova and Vesna Goldsworthy have suggested the use of the term Southeastern Europe to replace the word Balkans for the region, to minimize potential misunderstandings about the term Balkans having negative connotations.^[3]

Definition[link]

The first known usage of the term 'Southeast Europe' was by Austrian researcher Johann Georg von Hahn (1811–1869) as broader term than the traditional Balkans.^[4] Unlike the United Nations definitions of Eastern Europe, Western Europe, Southern Europe and Northern Europe, there are no clear and universally accepted geographical or historical divisions that delineate this region.^[5] However, if United Nations definitions of bordering macroregions are done, the rest can be considered as Central Europe.^[6]

There are four possible definitions of "Southeastern Europe". The Balkan Peninsula south of the River Danube-River Sava-River Kupa line; the European territories of the former Ottoman Empire; and the substantially larger space with a northern delineation that respects actual borders, promoted by the European Union from 1999. Finally, there is a European Union co-funded regional development model that adds Austria, the eastern Regions of Italy and southwestern Ukraine.

Balkans model[link]

The Balkan Peninsula, as defined by the Danube-Sava-Kupa line.

This concept is based on a geographic argument, that is, on the boundaries of the Balkans (which is considered a synonym by the supporters). The countries located fully in the peninsula are the following: Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo (Limited recognition), Bulgaria, Greece, Macedonia, and Montenegro.

The geographic definition may also include countries which are significantly located in the peninsula: Croatia (49%) and Serbia (up to 70%) and some countries which are located mostly outside the peninsula as defined by the rivers: Romania (6%) and Turkey (3%).

Stability pact for Southeastern Europe model[link]

Stability Pact member states

The Stability Pact for South Eastern Europe was an institution aimed at strengthening peace, democracy, human rights and economy in the countries of South Eastern Europe from 1999–2008. It was replaced by the Regional Co-operation Council in February 2008. The RCC replaced the Stability Pact because it is more regionally owned, which was driven more by outside partners such as the EU. The countries included were: Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Macedonia, Moldova, Montenegro, Romania, and Serbia.

Southeast Europe transnational co-operation programme model[link]

The Southeast Europe transnational co-operation programme "aims to develop transnational partnerships on matters of strategic importance, in order to improve the territorial, economic and social integration process and to contribute to cohesion, stability and competitiveness of the region".^[7]

The members include: Albania, Austria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Republic of Macedonia, Greece, Hungary, Republic of Moldova, Montenegro, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, and some regions of Italy and Ukraine^[8]

See also[link]

References[link]

v t e Balkan countries Geographically fully located Albania · Bosnia and Herzegovina · Bulgaria · Greece · Kosovo1 · Macedonia · Montenegro Significantly located Croatia  · Serbia Mostly outside of the peninsula Italy · Romania · Slovenia · Turkey See also Balkans · Southeast Europe · History of the Balkans · Balkan languages (Sprachbund) · Balkanization 1 Declared independence from Serbia on February 17, 2008 and is recognised by 91 United Nations member states.

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Sergei Dmitrievich Stanishev Сергей Дмитриевич Станишев
Prime Minister of Bulgaria
In office 17 August 2005 – 27 July 2009
President	Georgi Parvanov
Deputy	Emel Etem Toshkova Ivaylo Kalfin Meglena Plugchieva Daniel Vulchev
Preceded by	Simeon Sakskoburggotski
Succeeded by	Boyko Borisov
President of the Party of European Socialists
Incumbent
Assumed office 24 November 2011
Preceded by	Poul Nyrup Rasmussen
Personal details
Born	(1966-05-05) 5 May 1966 (age 46) Kherson, Soviet Union (now Ukraine)
Political party	Bulgarian Socialist Party
Domestic partner	Elena Yoncheva (1994-2009) Monika Yanova (2011-) (1 child)

Sergei Dmitrievich Stanishev (Bulgarian: Сергей Дмитриевич Станишев, born May 5, 1966) is a Bulgarian politician who was Prime Minister of Bulgaria from 2005 to 2009; currently he is Chairman of the Bulgarian Socialist Party (BSP) and Interim President of the Party of European Socialists.^[1] He was born in Kherson, Ukrainian SSR, which explains the Russian ending of his patronymic.

Early life and career[link]

A native of Kherson, Ukraine he is descended on his father's side from a poor Bulgarian family from Shtuka near Strumica, today in the Republic of Macedonia,^[2] while his mother is a native of Kherson. His father Dimitar Stanishev was a member of the Bulgarian Communist Party Politburo.

Stanishev attended Moscow State University, where he received his bachelor's degree in 1989, and his PhD in 1994, both in the field of history. His doctoral thesis was entitled “The system of service promotion of high ranking officials in Russia and its evolution during the second half of XIX century”. In 1998, he specialized in political sciences at Moscow School of political studies. He was a visiting fellow in international relations at the London School of Economics and Political Science in 1999-2000. He also worked as a freelance journalist. In 1995 he became a staff member in the Foreign Affairs Department of the BSP. He was Chief of Foreign Policy and International Relations for the BSP from 1996 to 2001. In May 2000 he was elected a Member of the BSP Supreme Council and Member of the Executive Bureau. In June 2001, he was elected as a member of the Bulgarian National Assembly from the region of Ruse. Sergei Stanishev was a Soviet citizen and then Russian until 1996,^{[citation needed]} when he acquired the Bulgarian citizenship and renounced his Russian one.

Political career[link]

[edit] Chairmanship of the Bulgarian Socialist Party

In December 2001 Stanishev was elected Chairman of the BSP at the party's Congress, and also Chairman of the Parliamentary Group of the Coalition for Bulgaria following the resignation of the former bearer of these positions Georgi Parvanov after his victory in the Presidential election in 2001. Since April 2004 Stanishev has also been a member of the presidency of the Party of European Socialists. Even though, at the beginning, older party members regarded him with suspicion due to his lack of experience, Stanishev has enjoyed considerable public approval^{[dubious – discuss]} mainly because of his great intellectual skills^{[dubious – discuss]} and his successful efforts^{[dubious – discuss]} to modernise the BSP.

Prime minister[link]

In the general election of June 25, 2005, Stanishev was re-elected to the National Assembly, this time for a seat in Burgas. Under his leadership the Coalition for Bulgaria (a coalition dominated by the BSP) won 31% of the votes. Stanishev said that the next government "should be led by the party which won most votes in the elections." On 20 July, after nearly a month of political uncertainty, Stanishev agreed to attempt to form a Cabinet. On July 27, 2005 the Bulgarian Parliament chose him as the new Prime Minister in a coalition government with the Movement for Rights and Freedoms. The vote was 120 to 119. However, the parliament voted against Stanishev's proposed Cabinet by 119 to 117 votes.

This was followed by another two weeks of political deadlock. Finally on August 15 Stanishev was able to form a three-party grand coalition with the party of outgoing Prime Minister Simeon Sakskoburggotski and with the Movement for Rights and Freedoms, a Turkish minority party. Stanishev said the coalition's priorities would be "European integration, social responsibility and economic growth." He was elected Prime Minister by the Bulgarian parliament on August 16 with 168 in favour and 67 against. On August 17, 2005, with an official ceremony on 1 Dondukov Boulevard, Sergey Stanishev took office as Prime Minister.

Sergei Stanishev is an avid pro-EU politician who is credited with reforming Bulgaria to the extent that he managed to steer his country to be among the last group of countries which joined the EU. The ex-Bulgarian Prime Minister Sergei Stanishev had said Bulgaria's EU entrance was the final fall of the Berlin Wall for his nation. EU President Jose' Manuel Barroso had hailed Bulgarian Prime Minister Stanishev for having made enough progress for Bulgaria to join the union.

The European Commission's report on Bulgaria and Romania's accession had confirmed that after seven years of talks, Bulgaria and Romania were able to take on the rights and obligations of EU membership. Reading the report, Mr Barroso said the two nations' entry would be a "historic achievement".

"Bulgaria and Romania have carried out an extraordinary reform process and they have gone through a remarkable transformation," he said.^[3]

In June 2008 Stanishev drew criticism from human rights advocates for his remarks regarding Bulgaria's first gay pride parade; the Prime Minister said he did not approve of "the manifestation and demonstration of such orientations."^[4]

Also in June 2008 The Guardian published an article highly critical of planned real estate development in a pristine seacoast area under EU environmental protection. Sergei Stanishev's brother, Georgi Stanishev, is the Bulgarian partner of Foster and Partners, the developer behind the controversial project.^[5]

In March 2009, New Europe published the heading 'Barroso backs Stanishev'. Stanishev received the full support of European Commissions President Jose Manuel Barroso, concerning the improvement of the cooperation with the European Commission and the enhancement of the administrative capacity. Prime Minister Stanishev was on a working visit to Brussels and met with President Barroso, as well as European Commissioner for Energy Andris Piebalgs and Commissioner for Economic and Monetary Affairs Joaquin Almunia.

Later in June 2009, Sergei Stanishev supported Jose' Manuel Barroso for a second term as EU Commission President.

Personal life[link]

Stanishev lived from 1994-2009 with prominent journalist Elena Yoncheva. In 2002 he amazed party members when he came to a gathering at Buzludzha on a motorcycle with a rock-style jacket that had a label on the back saying: "If you are reading this, Elena must have fallen off on the way." The pair did not have any children.

In 2011, PR agent Monika Yanova announced that she was having a baby by Stanishev.^[6] Their daughter Daria was born on May 1, 2011.^[7] Yanova is a divorcee who has two other children by her ex-husband Ventsislav Yosifov.^[8]

References[link]

External links[link]

• PM Biography
• Power struggle looms in Bulgaria
• Bulgarian Socialist Party website