National Assembly of Bulgaria
Encyclopedia
The National Assembly of Bulgaria is the unicameral parliament
and body of the legislative of the Republic
of Bulgaria
.
The National Assembly of Bulgaria was established in 1879 with the Constitution of Bulgaria
.
The National Assembly consists of 240 members elected for a four-year term. 209 of the representatives are elected by proportional representation
in multi-seat constituencies and 31 are elected in single-seat constituencies according to the last amendment of the Electoral law governing parliamentary elections, promulgated SG 36th edition on 15th of May 2009. Political parties must gather a minimum of 4% of the national vote in order to enter the Assembly. Bulgaria has a multi-party system. Obtaining of all state power by a single party is forbidden according to the articles of 1991 Constitution of Bulgaria.
The Assembly is responsible for enactment of laws, approval of the budget, scheduling of presidential elections, selection and dismissal of the Prime Minister and other ministers, declaration of war, concluding peace and deployment of troops outside of Bulgaria, and ratification of international treaties and agreements. It is headed and presided by the Chairperson of the National Assembly of Bulgaria
.
The Assembly administers the publication of the State Gazette
, Bulgaria's gazette of record.
As an organ, the Grand National Assembly was introduced with the Tarnovo Constitution
of 1879, abolished in 1947 and reintroduced with the 1991 constitution. In different constitutional provisions, it was constituted by a different number of representatives. According to the 1991 Constitution, it consists of 400 deputies (as opposed to 240 in the ordinary one). The 1991 Constitution was adopted by the Seventh Grand National Assembly and was composed of 200 members being elected by proportional representation and the other 200 by majoritarian representation. The Constitution provides that the elections for Grand National Assembly shall be conduvted by the same manner as those for the Ordinary National Assembly.
A qualified majority of 2/3 during three voting procedures on separate dates is required for a decision to be made. The Grand National Assembly can also serve as an ordinary National Assembly, taking care of regular legislative activities, in urgent cases only. After it has concluded its work on the matter for which it was elected, the Grand National Assembly is dissolved ex lege and the President of the Republic shall appoint elections for an ordinary National Assembly.
A total of seven Grand National Assemblies have been in operation in Bulgaria, the last one from 10 July 1990 to 12 July 1991 adopting the current constitution.
, it was designed in Neo-Renaissance
style by Konstantin Jovanović
, a Serbian-Bulgarian architect who received his education in Vienna
and Switzerland
and whose other works include the Parliament of Serbia building. It was constructed between 1884 and 1886 by Friederich Wilhelm Gustav Liebe, a young builder from Saxony
who was only 22 years old when construction began.
The building is depicted on the reverse
of the Bulgarian 20 leva
banknote, issued in 1999 and 2007.
Due to insufficient space in the main building, some administrative offices of the National Assembly are now housed by the former headquarters of the Bulgarian Communist Party
, located at the Largo.
in 2009.
Summary of the 2001 National Assembly of Bulgaria
election results
:
Summary of the 1997 National Assembly of Bulgaria
election results
:
Summary of the 1994 National Assembly of Bulgaria
election results
:
Summary of the 1991 National Assembly of Bulgaria
election results
:
Parliament
A parliament is a legislature, especially in those countries whose system of government is based on the Westminster system modeled after that of the United Kingdom. The name is derived from the French , the action of parler : a parlement is a discussion. The term came to mean a meeting at which...
and body of the legislative of the Republic
Republic
A republic is a form of government in which the people, or some significant portion of them, have supreme control over the government and where offices of state are elected or chosen by elected people. In modern times, a common simplified definition of a republic is a government where the head of...
of Bulgaria
Bulgaria
Bulgaria , officially the Republic of Bulgaria , is a parliamentary democracy within a unitary constitutional republic in Southeast Europe. The country borders Romania to the north, Serbia and Macedonia to the west, Greece and Turkey to the south, as well as the Black Sea to the east...
.
The National Assembly of Bulgaria was established in 1879 with the Constitution of Bulgaria
Constitution of Bulgaria
The Constitution of Bulgaria is the supreme and basic law of the Republic of Bulgaria. The current constitution was adopted on 12 July 1991 by the 7th Grand National Assembly of Bulgaria, and defines the country as a unitary parliamentary republic...
.
Ordinary National Assembly
Proportional representation
Proportional representation is a concept in voting systems used to elect an assembly or council. PR means that the number of seats won by a party or group of candidates is proportionate to the number of votes received. For example, under a PR voting system if 30% of voters support a particular...
in multi-seat constituencies and 31 are elected in single-seat constituencies according to the last amendment of the Electoral law governing parliamentary elections, promulgated SG 36th edition on 15th of May 2009. Political parties must gather a minimum of 4% of the national vote in order to enter the Assembly. Bulgaria has a multi-party system. Obtaining of all state power by a single party is forbidden according to the articles of 1991 Constitution of Bulgaria.
The Assembly is responsible for enactment of laws, approval of the budget, scheduling of presidential elections, selection and dismissal of the Prime Minister and other ministers, declaration of war, concluding peace and deployment of troops outside of Bulgaria, and ratification of international treaties and agreements. It is headed and presided by the Chairperson of the National Assembly of Bulgaria
Chairman of the National Assembly of Bulgaria
The Chairperson of the National Assembly of Bulgaria presides the Bulgarian Parliament...
.
The Assembly administers the publication of the State Gazette
State Gazette
The State Gazette is the gazette of record of Bulgaria. It has been published since 1879.The print edition of the gazette is divided into two sections. The "Official section" contains bills promulgated by the National Assembly, decrees by the Council of Ministers, international treaties, and other...
, Bulgaria's gazette of record.
Grand National Assembly
In addition to the ordinary National Assembly, a Grand National Assembly (Велико народно събрание, Veliko narodno sabranie) may be convened in order for matters of special jurisdiction, such as: 1) Adoption of a new Constitution; 2) Amendment of certain articles of the Constitution, e.g. those related with the basic civil rights; 3) Changes in the territory (gain or loss) of the Rebublic, etc. Before the World War II the Grand National Assembly was also competent in electing the Regency of the Bulgarian Kingdom if the tzar has not come to age. The First and the Third Grand National Assemblies also elected the first two Bulgarian monarchs after the liberation from the Turkish yoke - The Grand Duke (Knjaz) Alexander Battenberg and the Grand Duke (Knjaz) Ferdinand Saxe Coburg-Gotha.As an organ, the Grand National Assembly was introduced with the Tarnovo Constitution
Tarnovo Constitution
The Tarnovo Constitution was the first constitution of Bulgaria. It was adopted on 16 April 1879 by the Constituent National Assembly held in Veliko Tarnovo as part of the establishment of the Principality of Bulgaria...
of 1879, abolished in 1947 and reintroduced with the 1991 constitution. In different constitutional provisions, it was constituted by a different number of representatives. According to the 1991 Constitution, it consists of 400 deputies (as opposed to 240 in the ordinary one). The 1991 Constitution was adopted by the Seventh Grand National Assembly and was composed of 200 members being elected by proportional representation and the other 200 by majoritarian representation. The Constitution provides that the elections for Grand National Assembly shall be conduvted by the same manner as those for the Ordinary National Assembly.
A qualified majority of 2/3 during three voting procedures on separate dates is required for a decision to be made. The Grand National Assembly can also serve as an ordinary National Assembly, taking care of regular legislative activities, in urgent cases only. After it has concluded its work on the matter for which it was elected, the Grand National Assembly is dissolved ex lege and the President of the Republic shall appoint elections for an ordinary National Assembly.
A total of seven Grand National Assemblies have been in operation in Bulgaria, the last one from 10 July 1990 to 12 July 1991 adopting the current constitution.
Building
The National Assembly's main building has been proclaimed a monument of culture for its historic significance. Situated in downtown SofiaSofia
Sofia is the capital and largest city of Bulgaria and the 12th largest city in the European Union with a population of 1.27 million people. It is located in western Bulgaria, at the foot of Mount Vitosha and approximately at the centre of the Balkan Peninsula.Prehistoric settlements were excavated...
, it was designed in Neo-Renaissance
Neo-Renaissance
Renaissance Revival is an all-encompassing designation that covers many 19th century architectural revival styles which were neither Grecian nor Gothic but which instead drew inspiration from a wide range of classicizing Italian modes...
style by Konstantin Jovanović
Konstantin Jovanović
Konstantin Jovanović was a prolific Serbian, Bulgarian and Austro–Hungarian architect known for providing the original designs of the National Assembly of Bulgaria and National Assembly of Serbia buildings.Jovanović was born in Vienna, the capital of the Austrian Empire, to a...
, a Serbian-Bulgarian architect who received his education in Vienna
Vienna
Vienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...
and Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
and whose other works include the Parliament of Serbia building. It was constructed between 1884 and 1886 by Friederich Wilhelm Gustav Liebe, a young builder from Saxony
Saxony
The Free State of Saxony is a landlocked state of Germany, contingent with Brandenburg, Saxony Anhalt, Thuringia, Bavaria, the Czech Republic and Poland. It is the tenth-largest German state in area, with of Germany's sixteen states....
who was only 22 years old when construction began.
The building is depicted on the reverse
Obverse and reverse
Obverse and its opposite, reverse, refer to the two flat faces of coins and some other two-sided objects, including paper money, flags , seals, medals, drawings, old master prints and other works of art, and printed fabrics. In this usage, obverse means the front face of the object and reverse...
of the Bulgarian 20 leva
Bulgarian lev
The lev is the currency of Bulgaria. It is divided in 100 stotinki . In archaic Bulgarian the word "lev" meant "lion".It is speculated that Bulgaria, as a member of the European Union will adopt the Euro in 2015 .- First lev, 1881–1952 :...
banknote, issued in 1999 and 2007.
Due to insufficient space in the main building, some administrative offices of the National Assembly are now housed by the former headquarters of the Bulgarian Communist Party
Bulgarian Communist Party
The Bulgarian Communist Party was the communist and Marxist-Leninist ruling party of the People's Republic of Bulgaria from 1946 until 1990 when the country ceased to be a communist state...
, located at the Largo.
Current composition (2009-2013)
This is the composition of the 41st (ordinary) National Assembly of Bulgaria as established by the Bulgarian parliamentary electionBulgarian parliamentary election, 2009
Parliamentary elections were held in Bulgaria on 5 July 2009. The decisive winner of the elections was Citizens for European Development of Bulgaria party, led by Sofia mayor Boyko Borisov...
in 2009.
Previous composition (1991-2009)
Summary of the 2001 National Assembly of Bulgaria
National Assembly of Bulgaria
The National Assembly of Bulgaria is the unicameral parliament and body of the legislative of the Republic of Bulgaria.The National Assembly of Bulgaria was established in 1879 with the Constitution of Bulgaria.-Ordinary National Assembly:...
election results
Bulgarian parliamentary election, 2001
Parliamentary elections were held in Bulgaria on 17 June 2001. The result was a victory for the National Movement – Simeon II, which won 120 of the 240 seats. Voter turnout was 67.0%...
:
| Party | Votes | Seats | |
|---|---|---|---|
| National Movement Simeon II National Movement Simeon II The National Movement for Stability and Progress or Nacionalno dviženie za stabilnost i văzhod), until 3 June 2007 known as the National Movement Simeon II , is a liberal political party in Bulgaria, the vehicle of Simeon Borisov Sakskoburggotski, the deposed Tsar of Bulgaria and former Prime... |
1,952,513 | 120 | |
| United Democratic Forces United Democratic Forces The United Democratic Forces were a center-right electoral alliance in Bulgaria, led by the Union of Democratic Forces.-Members of the coalition:1997 *Union of Democratic Forces... |
830,338 | 51 | |
| Coalition for Bulgaria (Bulgarian Socialist Party) Coalition for Bulgaria The Coalition for Bulgaria is a centre-left electoral alliance in Bulgaria, led by the Bulgarian Socialist Party.-Members of the coalition:2001 / 2005 *Bulgarian Socialist Party .... |
783,372 | 48 | |
| Movement for Rights and Freedoms Movement for Rights and Freedoms The Movement for Rights and Freedoms is an ethnic Turkish party in Bulgaria. The MRF is a member of the Liberal International and considers itself a liberal party, rather like the Swedish People's Party - party of the Swedish-speaking minority of Finland... |
340,395 | 21 |
Summary of the 1997 National Assembly of Bulgaria
National Assembly of Bulgaria
The National Assembly of Bulgaria is the unicameral parliament and body of the legislative of the Republic of Bulgaria.The National Assembly of Bulgaria was established in 1879 with the Constitution of Bulgaria.-Ordinary National Assembly:...
election results
Bulgarian parliamentary election, 1997
Parliamentary elections were held in Bulgaria on 19 April 1997. The result was a victory for the United Democratic Forces , which won 137 of the 240 seats. Voter turnout was 62.9%...
:
| Party | Votes | Seats | |
|---|---|---|---|
| United Democratic Forces United Democratic Forces The United Democratic Forces were a center-right electoral alliance in Bulgaria, led by the Union of Democratic Forces.-Members of the coalition:1997 *Union of Democratic Forces... |
2,223,714 | 137 | |
| Democratic Left (Bulgarian Socialist Party) Bulgarian Socialist Party The Bulgarian Socialist Party is social-democratic political party in Bulgaria and successor to the Bulgarian Communist Party. The BSP is a member of the Party of European Socialists and Socialist International, and is currently led by Sergei Stanishev.... |
939,308 | 58 | |
| Union for National Salvation (Movement for Rights and Freedoms) Movement for Rights and Freedoms The Movement for Rights and Freedoms is an ethnic Turkish party in Bulgaria. The MRF is a member of the Liberal International and considers itself a liberal party, rather like the Swedish People's Party - party of the Swedish-speaking minority of Finland... |
323,429 | 19 | |
| Euroleft | 234,058 | 14 | |
| Bulgarian Business Block | 209,796 | 12 |
Summary of the 1994 National Assembly of Bulgaria
National Assembly of Bulgaria
The National Assembly of Bulgaria is the unicameral parliament and body of the legislative of the Republic of Bulgaria.The National Assembly of Bulgaria was established in 1879 with the Constitution of Bulgaria.-Ordinary National Assembly:...
election results
Bulgarian parliamentary election, 1994
Parliamentary elections were held in Bulgaria on 18 December 1994. The result was a victory for the Bulgarian Socialist Party, which won 125 of the 240 seats. Voter turnout was 75.3%. Following the election, Socialist Party leader Zhan Videnov became Prime Minister.-Results:¹ The People's Union was...
:
| Party | Votes | Seats | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bulgarian Socialist Party Bulgarian Socialist Party The Bulgarian Socialist Party is social-democratic political party in Bulgaria and successor to the Bulgarian Communist Party. The BSP is a member of the Party of European Socialists and Socialist International, and is currently led by Sergei Stanishev.... |
2,262,943 | 125 | |
| Union of Democratic Forces Union of Democratic Forces Union of Democratic Forces or Union of the Democratic Forces is the name of:*Union of Democratic Forces *Union of Democratic Forces *Union of Democratic Forces *Union of Democratic Forces... |
1,260,374 | 69 | |
| Bulgarian People's Union Bulgarian People's Union The Bulgarian People's Union is an electoral alliance in Bulgaria. At the last legislative elections, 25 June 2005, it won 5.7 % of the popular vote and 13 out of 240 seats... |
338,478 | 18 | |
| Movement for Rights and Freedoms Movement for Rights and Freedoms The Movement for Rights and Freedoms is an ethnic Turkish party in Bulgaria. The MRF is a member of the Liberal International and considers itself a liberal party, rather like the Swedish People's Party - party of the Swedish-speaking minority of Finland... |
283,094 | 15 | |
| Bulgarian Business Block | 245,849 | 13 |
Summary of the 1991 National Assembly of Bulgaria
National Assembly of Bulgaria
The National Assembly of Bulgaria is the unicameral parliament and body of the legislative of the Republic of Bulgaria.The National Assembly of Bulgaria was established in 1879 with the Constitution of Bulgaria.-Ordinary National Assembly:...
election results
Bulgarian parliamentary election, 1991
Parliamentary elections were held in Bulgaria on 13 October 1991. The result was a victory for the Union of Democratic Forces, which won 110 of the 240 seats. Voter turnout was 83.9%.-Results:...
:
| Party | Votes | Seats | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Union of Democratic Forces Union of Democratic Forces Union of Democratic Forces or Union of the Democratic Forces is the name of:*Union of Democratic Forces *Union of Democratic Forces *Union of Democratic Forces *Union of Democratic Forces... |
1,903,567 | 110 | |
| Bulgarian Socialist Party Bulgarian Socialist Party The Bulgarian Socialist Party is social-democratic political party in Bulgaria and successor to the Bulgarian Communist Party. The BSP is a member of the Party of European Socialists and Socialist International, and is currently led by Sergei Stanishev.... |
1,836,050 | 106 | |
| Movement for Rights and Freedoms Movement for Rights and Freedoms The Movement for Rights and Freedoms is an ethnic Turkish party in Bulgaria. The MRF is a member of the Liberal International and considers itself a liberal party, rather like the Swedish People's Party - party of the Swedish-speaking minority of Finland... |
418,168 | 24 |