Ljubčo Georgievski

Ljubčo Georgievski (Macedonian: Љупчо Георгиевски)[1] (Bulgarian: Любчо Георгиевски) (born January 17, 1966 in Štip, SR Macedonia, then Yugoslavia) is a poet and politician from the Republic of Macedonia and former Prime Minister and Vice President of the country.

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Background

Georgievski is the founder of the right wing party VMRO-DPMNE (the present ruling party). When the wars of Yugoslav succession started and the region was heading in for independence, Georgievski emerged as one of the strongest voices of opposition to challenge the Communist ruling structure, and succeeded in gaining strong public support. During his time in government (1998-2002), his coalition introduced strong reforms within the State administration, introduced the VAT system, started denationalisation, and adopted the pension system law. The Government managed to achieve very good financial results; foreign currency reserves were almost doubled, and a large budget surplus was also gained. In 2001, in Luxembourg, Georgievski signed the EU backed Stabilization and Association Agreement.

His political agenda was nevertheless questioned during the short conflict ignited by the ethnic Albanian guerrillas and the F.Y.R.O.M's armed forces in 2001. The conflict ended with the signing of the Ohrid Framework Agreement, which pledged greater rights for the Albanian minority. Georgievski was accused of direct involvement in the conflict, to the point of having ignited it, for personal benefits. Shortly after he lost the elections in 2002 to the opposition party SDSM, accusations of corruption followed, thus considerably lowering his political profile.

He eventually broke off with the party he once founded, due to ideological incompatibility with his once Finance Minister, now Prime Minister of the F.Y.R.O.M, Nikola Gruevski, and founded VMRO-NP.

In 2006 Georgievski applied for and was granted Bulgarian citizenship.[2][3]

Literary work

In 1988 Georgievski graduated from the University of Ss. Cyril and Methodius University of Skopje, specializing in comparative literature. He is the author of two poetry books (Apocalypse and City) and one collection of short stories (Direct Interventions with Short Stories into the Anatomic Structure of History). In late summer of 2007 Georgievski published his book "С лице към истината" ("Facing the truth") in Bulgaria. In it he reveals his attitude to Macedonian identity and Bulgarian past in the Republic of Macedonia.[4]

Professional and political biography

References

  1. ^ Georgievski himself uses the spelling variant Љубчо in imitation of Bulgarian spelling rules. This is, however, not allowed according to the Macedonian orthographic manuals.
  2. ^ Macedonia’s Former PM Ljubco Georgievski Received Bulgarian Citizenship, Macedonian News, July 16, 2006
  3. ^ "Former Macedonian Prime Minister received a Bulgarian passport" (in Bulgarian). Trud. 2006-07-16. 
  4. ^ "Защо се срамуваме и бягаме от факта, че всичко това, което е позитивна македонска революционна традиция, произлиза тъкмо от екзархийския дял на македонския народ. Няма да кажем някаква нова истина, ако споменем факта, че и Гоце Делчев, и Даме Груев, и Гьорче Петров, и Пере Тошев — трябва ли да редя и броя всички — са били учители на Българската екзархия в Македония." "Lyubcho Georgievski seeks the spirit of Gotse Delchev" (in Bulgarian). Standart News. 2007-08-28. http://www.standartnews.com/bg/article.php?article=201326. Retrieved 2007-08-29. 
Preceded by
Branko Crvenkovski		 Prime Minister of the Republic of Macedonia
1998–2002		 Succeeded by
Branko Crvenkovski