![]() Cartoon portrait by an unknown author, sold at street stalls in the autumn of 1990 |
Petar Beron was born in Sofia on 14 March 1940. Graduate of the Biology-Geology-Geography Department of the Kliment Ohridski University in Sofia. From 1963 up to 1969 he worked as a biologist at the Institute of Zoology with the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences. Between 1969 and 1978 he was a research fellow at the same Institute, in 1978 he was promoted to Senior Research Fellow and became Head of the Zoology Department at the National Natural History Museum of the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences. 1990 - Doctor in Biology and vice president of the Bulgarian Union of Tourists. |
Petar Beron first got involved in political activities as member
of the independent EcoGlasnost
movement.
Secretary of the UDF
from its foundation (7 December, 1989) until he was elected leader
of the Blues' coalition (August, 1990).
During the first free elections (June, 1990) he
won a seat in the 7th Grand National Assembly as representative from the
UDF list. He is among the MPs who signed the new Constitution of Bulgaria.
In the presidential election in 1992 he ran for
president, with George Ganchev - leader
of the Business Bloc -
as his running mate. Their presidential tandem won the third place with 17
per cent of the vote and dropped off the final contest.
Over the past years he has continued his academic work - conducting many research expeditions, discovering and describing previously unknown species of insects, organizing photo exhibitions and expositions of unique collections at the National Natural History Museum.
He ran for President in the November 2001 election and was supported by as many as 31560 voters casting ballots n his favour (1.11 per cent of the vote).
Deputy Chairman of the Zashtita Union of the Patriotic Forces and Reservists. President of the Bulgarian Federation of Speleology since 1985.
In 2005 Beron took part in the parliamentary elections from the newly founded Ataka coalition headed by Volen Siderov and was elected deputy to the 40th National Assembly; Deputy Chairman of the Parliament on a rotation basis.
2006 - he participated in the presidential contest choosing Stela Bankova as his running mate.
Author of numerous academic and publicist works.
Language proficiency: French, English, and Russian.
Married, with a son, Vladimir.