Petr Dertliev Bulgarian politician Date of Birth: 07.04.1916 Country: Bulgaria

1. Early Life and Political Activism
2. Academic Career and Imprisonment
3. Return to Medical Practice and Political Revival
4. Political Ambitions and Ideological Conflicts
5. Party Split and Later Career

Early Life and Political Activism

Born in a family of an esteemed teacher, Petar Dertliev actively engaged in politics from his youth. As a member of the Bulgarian Workers' Social Democratic Party (BRSDP), he oscillated between alliances and conflicts with the Communist faction. In 1938, he faced prosecution for publishing illegal literature ahead of an election.

Academic Career and Imprisonment

Dertliev graduated from the Medical Faculty of Sofia University in 1941, where he subsequently became an assistant in the Anatomy Department. After the 9th of September 1944 coup d'état, he served as a member of the Отечествен Фронт (Fatherland Front) Committee at Sofia University and in the Medical Faculty. However, following the split in BRSDP in 1945, Dertliev joined BRSDP (United), which opposed the Pro-Soviet government. This opposition led to his arrest and imprisonment in the Rosiza camp in 1946.

Despite his imprisonment, Dertliev remained steadfast in his political beliefs, as evidenced by intelligence reports indicating his "hostile stance" while incarcerated. Upon his release, he was elected as a deputy to the 6th Grand National Assembly. However, his parliamentary immunity was revoked in 1948, and he was sentenced to ten years in prison.

Return to Medical Practice and Political Revival

After his release in 1957, Dertliev worked in tuberculosis dispensaries in Tryavna and Pernik. From 1963 until his retirement in 1984, he headed the fluorography department at the Institute of Tuberculosis in the Medical Academy. Despite surveillance by state security, Dertliev steadfastly maintained his political views.

He played a key role in re-establishing the Bulgarian Social Democratic Party (BSDP) on November 10, 1989, and its subsequent integration into the Union of Democratic Forces (SDS). Elected Chairman of BSDP on December 26, 1989, Dertliev actively participated in the Round Table negotiations between the ruling power and the opposition.

Political Ambitions and Ideological Conflicts

In 1990, Dertliev was nominated as the SDS candidate for President of Bulgaria. However, he consistently placed second in five rounds of parliamentary voting due to the opposition of the Bulgarian Socialist Party (BSP), the former Communist Party. Eventually, Dertliev withdrew his candidacy, paving the way for Zhelyu Zhelev's election with the support of the BSP.

Dertliev's refusal to form a coalition with the socialists and his conflicts with right-wing forces led him to pursue a social-democratic political center, an alternative to both BSP and SDS. He sought collaboration with various left-center parties and movements, ultimately serving as Chairman of the Democratic Alternative for the Republic in 1994.

Party Split and Later Career

A split occurred within BSDP in 1998, resulting in two rival party congresses. Dertliev's supporters assembled in Varna, electing him as Honorary Chairman and leader of the "Social Democracy" faction. The courts, however, recognized the legitimacy of the Plovdiv congress, a decision that Dertliev's followers attributed to the influence of the SDS-led government.

As an author of two autobiographical books and a collection of articles, speeches, and interviews, Dertliev's political legacy is evident in the numerous organizations bearing his name, including the "Dr. Petar Dertliev" Boulevard, the "Dr. Petar Dertliev" Social Democratic Academy for Young Politicians, and the "Dr. Petar Dertliev" Social Democratic Youth Association. He is remembered by former political opponents, such as Yordan Sokolov, as a "politician by spirit and vocation" who persevered in promoting democratic values throughout Bulgaria's tumultuous history.