Zhan Vasilev Videnov (Bulgarian: Жан Василев Виденов [ˈʒan ˈvidɛnof]; born 22 March 1959), sometimes spelled in English as Jean Videnov, was Prime Minister of Bulgaria from 25 January 1995 until 13 February 1997, a term remembered for the most severe economic and financial crisis in recent Bulgarian history, which featured hyperinflation and a drastic fall in living standards.
Despite promises of change, the stagnation that had characterized the entire post-communist period since 1989 persisted during Videnov's term, as did the shady privatization schemes, the underfunding of social services, government inaction against organized crime groups such as VIS-2, SIC and Multigroup, alleged government patronizing of dingy business groups (such as the so-called "Orion friend circle") and the emigration of young and educated Bulgarians.
One significant initiative was the government's launching of a campaign for mass privatization, in which ordinary middle-class citizens were to acquire shares in the factories and firms that were being de-nationalized.
Videnov himself blamed the Bulgarian National Bank's incompetent actions, and abuses committed during the previous coalition government headed by Lyuben Berov.
However, the UDF-headed opposition responded by organizing month-long street protests in big cities, demanding that the parliament should be dissolved and that elections must be held immediately because of the BSP's responsibility for the crisis.
Bowing to popular pressure, BSP leaders eventually agreed to early elections and a caretaker cabinet headed by Stefan Sofiyanski (UDF) took over on 13 February 1997.
This assessment was supported with the argument that, unusually for Bulgaria, he apparently didn't make any personal profit from his position and indeed left politics as poor as he had entered it.