Politics of Bulgaria
Encyclopedia
Politics
of Bulgaria
take place in a framework of a parliamentary
representative democratic
republic
, whereby the Prime minister is the head of government
, and of a multi-party system
. Executive power
is exercised by the government. Legislative power is vested in both the government
and the National Assembly
. The Judiciary
is independent of the executive and the legislature.
Since 1990, Bulgaria has an unstable party system, in the past two decades differently dominated by the post-communist Bulgarian Socialist Party
or by the right Union of Democratic Forces
and recently by the new right-oriented party - Citizens for European Development of Bulgaria
. The US Library of Congress Federal Research Division reported it in 2006 as having generally good freedom of speech
and human rights
records, while Freedom House
listed it as "free" in 2011, giving it scores of 2 for political rights and 2 for civil liberties.
(BSP) won the first post-communist Assembly elections in 1990 with a small majority. The BSP government formed at that time was brought down by a general strike in late 1990 and replaced by a transitional coalition government
. Meanwhile, Zhelyu Zhelev
, a communist-era dissident from the new democratic party - Union of Democratic Forces
, was elected President by the Assembly in 1990, and in 1992 won Bulgaria's first direct presidential elections. Zhelev served until early 1997. The country's first fully democratic Assembly elections, in November 1991, ushered in another coalition government, led by the winning pro-reform Union of Democratic Forces
(UDF), it agreed partnership with the Turkish party Movement for Rights and Freedoms
(MRF) to make majority against the post-communist party (BSP). This coalition collapsed in late 1992, and was succeeded by a technocratic team, probably put forward by the MRF, and governed at the sufferance of the BSP for 2 years. The BSP won convincingly the pre-term elections in December 1994 with close to 50% of the vote, receiving the majority of the seats in the parliament, and remained in office until February 1997, when a populace alienated by the BSP's failed, corrupt government demanded its resignation and called for new elections. A caretaker cabinet appointed by the President served until pre-term parliamentary elections in April 1997, which yielded a landslide victory of 54% for the pro-reform United Democratic Forces, giving to the party the majority of the seats in the parliament.
In 2001, former King Simeon Saxe-Coburg-Gotha
returned to power, this time as Prime Minister with his National Movement Simeon II
(NMS II). He won 50% of the votes and the majority of the seats in the parliament with just one - 120 out of 240 seats.
Bulgaria did not decriminalize homosexuality
until 2002, doing so to conform to European Union
norms as it pressed for membership. Nevertheless, polls from the end of 2007 showed that 80% of Bulgarian respondents expressed a negative view of gays and lesbians, with 53% voicing an "extremely negative" view.
The Bulgarian Socialist Party
(BSP) won the parliamentary elections in 2005 with 31% of the vote, thus it didn't get the majority of the seats. The Bulgarian Parliament voted "for" BSP's proposal, choosing Sergey Stanishev
of the BSP as the new Prime Minister and the MRF as a partner in the coalition government, led by BSP. The vote was 120 against 119. However, the parliament voted against the cabinet's staff by 119 to 117 votes. Finally, on August 15, 2005, the BSP and NMS II formed a stable government, in a partnership with the MRF. This grand coalition
comprises the three largest parties. This coalition had a large majority in the parliament with 169 of the 240 deputies.
Bulgaria joined the European Union in 2007.
On the parliamentary elections in 2009 the personalistic party Citizens for European Development of Bulgaria
(GERB) has won the elections with 40% of the votes, securing 116 seats out of 240, which enabled it to form a cabinet of the minority. Subsequently, after some inner conflicts of the smaller party groups, now the party of Boyko Borisov
has a majority in the unicameral parliament.
|Georgi Parvanov
|Socialist Party
|22 January 2002
|-
|President-elect
|Rosen Plevneliev
|Citizens for European Development
|22 January 2012
|-
|Prime Minister
|Boyko Borisov
|Citizens for European Development
|27 July 2009
|}
since 22 January 2002) is directly elected for a 5-year term with the right to one re-election. The president serves as the head of state
and commander in chief of the armed forces. The President's main duties are to schedule elections and referendums, represent Bulgaria abroad, conclude international treaties, and head the Consultative Council for National Security. The President may return legislation to the National Assembly for further debate—a kind of veto—but the legislation can be passed again by an absolute majority vote.
The Council of Ministers is the principal organ of the executive branch. It is usually formed by the majority party in Parliament, if one exists, or by the largest party in Parliament along with coalition partners. Chaired by the Prime Minister, it is responsible for carrying out state policy, managing the state budget, and maintaining law and order. The Council must resign if the National Assembly passes a vote of no confidence in the Council or the Prime Minister or rejects a vote of confidence.
The current government is made of the centre-right Citizens for European Development of Bulgaria
.
, the National Assembly or Narodno Sabranie, consists of 240 deputies who are elected for 4-year-terms by popular vote. The votes are for party or coalition lists of candidates for each of the 28 administrative divisions. A party or coalition must garner a minimum of 4% of the vote in order to enter parliament. Parliament 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, deployment of troops outside of Bulgaria, and ratification of international treaties and agreements.
. In addition, there is a Supreme Administrative Court
and a system of military courts. The Presidents of the Supreme Court of Cassation and the Supreme Administrative Court as well as the Prosecutor General are elected by a qualified majority of two-thirds from all the members of the Supreme Judicial Council and are appointed by the President of the Republic. The Supreme Judicial Council is in charge of the self-administration and organisation of the Judiciary.
A qualified majority of two-thirds of the membership of the Supreme Judicial Council elects the Presidents of the Supreme Court of Cassation and of the Supreme Administrative Court, as well as the Prosecutor General, from among its members; the President of the Republic then appoints those elected.
The Supreme Judicial Council has charge of the self-administration and organization of the Judiciary.
The Constitutional Court supervises the review of the constitutionality of laws and statutes brought before it, as well as the compliance of these laws with international treaties that the Government has signed. Parliament elects the 12 members of the Constitutional Court by a two-thirds majority. The members serve for a nine-year term.
The territory of the Republic of Bulgaria subdivides into provinces and municipalities. Bulgaria has 28 provinces, each headed by a provincial governor appointed by the government. In addition, the country includes 263 municipalities.
The Constitutional Court of Bulgaria
is in charge of reviewing the constitutionality of laws and statutes brought before it, as well as the compliance of these laws with international treaties that the Government has signed. The 12 members of the Constitutional Court serve a nine-year term. Parliament elects 1/3 of them.
Politics
Politics is a process by which groups of people make collective decisions. The term is generally applied to the art or science of running governmental or state affairs, including behavior within civil governments, but also applies to institutions, fields, and special interest groups such as the...
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...
take place in a framework of a parliamentary
Parliamentary system
A parliamentary system is a system of government in which the ministers of the executive branch get their democratic legitimacy from the legislature and are accountable to that body, such that the executive and legislative branches are intertwined....
representative democratic
Representative democracy
Representative democracy is a form of government founded on the principle of elected individuals representing the people, as opposed to autocracy and direct democracy...
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...
, whereby the Prime minister is the head of government
Head of government
Head of government is the chief officer of the executive branch of a government, often presiding over a cabinet. In a parliamentary system, the head of government is often styled prime minister, chief minister, premier, etc...
, and of a multi-party system
Multi-party system
A multi-party system is a system in which multiple political parties have the capacity to gain control of government separately or in coalition, e.g.The Conservative-Liberal Democrat coalition in the United Kingdom formed in 2010. The effective number of parties in a multi-party system is normally...
. Executive power
Executive Power
Executive Power is Vince Flynn's fifth novel, and the fourth to feature Mitch Rapp, an American agent that works for the CIA as an operative for a covert counter terrorism unit called the "Orion Team."-Plot summary:...
is exercised by the government. Legislative power is vested in both the government
Government
Government refers to the legislators, administrators, and arbitrators in the administrative bureaucracy who control a state at a given time, and to the system of government by which they are organized...
and the National Assembly
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:...
. The Judiciary
Judiciary
The judiciary is the system of courts that interprets and applies the law in the name of the state. The judiciary also provides a mechanism for the resolution of disputes...
is independent of the executive and the legislature.
Since 1990, Bulgaria has an unstable party system, in the past two decades differently dominated by the post-communist 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....
or by the right 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...
and recently by the new right-oriented party - Citizens for European Development of Bulgaria
Citizens for European Development of Bulgaria
Citizens for European Development of Bulgaria , abbreviated GERB , is a Bulgarian centre-right political party established on March 13 2006. It has been Bulgaria's ruling party since 2009....
. The US Library of Congress Federal Research Division reported it in 2006 as having generally good freedom of speech
Freedom of speech
Freedom of speech is the freedom to speak freely without censorship. The term freedom of expression is sometimes used synonymously, but includes any act of seeking, receiving and imparting information or ideas, regardless of the medium used...
and human rights
Human rights
Human rights are "commonly understood as inalienable fundamental rights to which a person is inherently entitled simply because she or he is a human being." Human rights are thus conceived as universal and egalitarian . These rights may exist as natural rights or as legal rights, in both national...
records, while Freedom House
Freedom House
Freedom House is an international non-governmental organization based in Washington, D.C. that conducts research and advocacy on democracy, political freedom and human rights...
listed it as "free" in 2011, giving it scores of 2 for political rights and 2 for civil liberties.
Developments since 1990
The Bulgarian Socialist PartyBulgarian 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....
(BSP) won the first post-communist Assembly elections in 1990 with a small majority. The BSP government formed at that time was brought down by a general strike in late 1990 and replaced by a transitional coalition government
Coalition government
A coalition government is a cabinet of a parliamentary government in which several political parties cooperate. The usual reason given for this arrangement is that no party on its own can achieve a majority in the parliament...
. Meanwhile, Zhelyu Zhelev
Zhelyu Zhelev
Zhelyu Mitev Zhelev is a Bulgarian politician and former dissident who was the first democratically elected President of Bulgaria, he is elected for his first mandate by the Parliament for the period 1990 to 1992, in January 1992 general elections are held when he is reelected for his second...
, a communist-era dissident from the new democratic party - 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...
, was elected President by the Assembly in 1990, and in 1992 won Bulgaria's first direct presidential elections. Zhelev served until early 1997. The country's first fully democratic Assembly elections, in November 1991, ushered in another coalition government, led by the winning pro-reform 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...
(UDF), it agreed partnership with the Turkish party 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...
(MRF) to make majority against the post-communist party (BSP). This coalition collapsed in late 1992, and was succeeded by a technocratic team, probably put forward by the MRF, and governed at the sufferance of the BSP for 2 years. The BSP won convincingly the pre-term elections in December 1994 with close to 50% of the vote, receiving the majority of the seats in the parliament, and remained in office until February 1997, when a populace alienated by the BSP's failed, corrupt government demanded its resignation and called for new elections. A caretaker cabinet appointed by the President served until pre-term parliamentary elections in April 1997, which yielded a landslide victory of 54% for the pro-reform United Democratic Forces, giving to the party the majority of the seats in the parliament.
In 2001, former King Simeon Saxe-Coburg-Gotha
Simeon Saxe-Coburg-Gotha
Simeon Borisov of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, Tsar Simeon II or Simeon II of Bulgaria is an important political and royal figure in Bulgaria...
returned to power, this time as Prime Minister with his 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...
(NMS II). He won 50% of the votes and the majority of the seats in the parliament with just one - 120 out of 240 seats.
Bulgaria did not decriminalize homosexuality
Homosexuality
Homosexuality is romantic or sexual attraction or behavior between members of the same sex or gender. As a sexual orientation, homosexuality refers to "an enduring pattern of or disposition to experience sexual, affectional, or romantic attractions" primarily or exclusively to people of the same...
until 2002, doing so to conform to European Union
European Union
The European Union is an economic and political union of 27 independent member states which are located primarily in Europe. The EU traces its origins from the European Coal and Steel Community and the European Economic Community , formed by six countries in 1958...
norms as it pressed for membership. Nevertheless, polls from the end of 2007 showed that 80% of Bulgarian respondents expressed a negative view of gays and lesbians, with 53% voicing an "extremely negative" view.
The 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....
(BSP) won the parliamentary elections in 2005 with 31% of the vote, thus it didn't get the majority of the seats. The Bulgarian Parliament voted "for" BSP's proposal, choosing Sergey Stanishev
Sergey Stanishev
Sergei Dmitrievich Stanishev is a Bulgarian politician who was Prime Minister of Bulgaria from 2005 to 2009; currently he is Chairman of the Bulgarian Socialist Party and Interim President of the Party of European Socialists...
of the BSP as the new Prime Minister and the MRF as a partner in the coalition government, led by BSP. The vote was 120 against 119. However, the parliament voted against the cabinet's staff by 119 to 117 votes. Finally, on August 15, 2005, the BSP and NMS II formed a stable government, in a partnership with the MRF. This grand coalition
Grand coalition
A grand coalition is an arrangement in a multi-party parliamentary system in which the two largest political parties of opposing political ideologies unite in a coalition government...
comprises the three largest parties. This coalition had a large majority in the parliament with 169 of the 240 deputies.
Bulgaria joined the European Union in 2007.
On the parliamentary elections in 2009 the personalistic party Citizens for European Development of Bulgaria
Citizens for European Development of Bulgaria
Citizens for European Development of Bulgaria , abbreviated GERB , is a Bulgarian centre-right political party established on March 13 2006. It has been Bulgaria's ruling party since 2009....
(GERB) has won the elections with 40% of the votes, securing 116 seats out of 240, which enabled it to form a cabinet of the minority. Subsequently, after some inner conflicts of the smaller party groups, now the party of Boyko Borisov
Boyko Borisov
Boyko Metodiev Borisov is a Bulgarian politician who has been Prime Minister of Bulgaria since July 2009. Previously he was Mayor of Sofia from 8 November 2005 until his election as Prime Minister....
has a majority in the unicameral parliament.
Main office holders
|President|Georgi Parvanov
Georgi Parvanov
Georgi Sedefchov Parvanov is a President of Bulgaria, whose second and last mandate expires on January 22, 2012; he was elected after defeating his predecessor Petar Stoyanov in the second round of the presidential elections in November 2001 and he came into office on January 22, 2002...
|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....
|22 January 2002
|-
|President-elect
|Rosen Plevneliev
Rosen Plevneliev
Rosen Plevneliev is a Bulgarian politician. He was Minister of Regional Development and Public Works from 2009 to 2011 as part of the cabinet of Boyko Borisov...
|Citizens for European Development
Citizens for European Development of Bulgaria
Citizens for European Development of Bulgaria , abbreviated GERB , is a Bulgarian centre-right political party established on March 13 2006. It has been Bulgaria's ruling party since 2009....
|22 January 2012
|-
|Prime Minister
|Boyko Borisov
Boyko Borisov
Boyko Metodiev Borisov is a Bulgarian politician who has been Prime Minister of Bulgaria since July 2009. Previously he was Mayor of Sofia from 8 November 2005 until his election as Prime Minister....
|Citizens for European Development
Citizens for European Development of Bulgaria
Citizens for European Development of Bulgaria , abbreviated GERB , is a Bulgarian centre-right political party established on March 13 2006. It has been Bulgaria's ruling party since 2009....
|27 July 2009
|}
Executive branch
The president of Bulgaria (Georgi ParvanovGeorgi Parvanov
Georgi Sedefchov Parvanov is a President of Bulgaria, whose second and last mandate expires on January 22, 2012; he was elected after defeating his predecessor Petar Stoyanov in the second round of the presidential elections in November 2001 and he came into office on January 22, 2002...
since 22 January 2002) is directly elected for a 5-year term with the right to one re-election. The president serves as the head of state
Head of State
A head of state is the individual that serves as the chief public representative of a monarchy, republic, federation, commonwealth or other kind of state. His or her role generally includes legitimizing the state and exercising the political powers, functions, and duties granted to the head of...
and commander in chief of the armed forces. The President's main duties are to schedule elections and referendums, represent Bulgaria abroad, conclude international treaties, and head the Consultative Council for National Security. The President may return legislation to the National Assembly for further debate—a kind of veto—but the legislation can be passed again by an absolute majority vote.
The Council of Ministers is the principal organ of the executive branch. It is usually formed by the majority party in Parliament, if one exists, or by the largest party in Parliament along with coalition partners. Chaired by the Prime Minister, it is responsible for carrying out state policy, managing the state budget, and maintaining law and order. The Council must resign if the National Assembly passes a vote of no confidence in the Council or the Prime Minister or rejects a vote of confidence.
The current government is made of the centre-right Citizens for European Development of Bulgaria
Citizens for European Development of Bulgaria
Citizens for European Development of Bulgaria , abbreviated GERB , is a Bulgarian centre-right political party established on March 13 2006. It has been Bulgaria's ruling party since 2009....
.
Legislative branch
The Bulgarian unicameral parliamentParliament
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...
, the National Assembly or Narodno Sabranie, consists of 240 deputies who are elected for 4-year-terms by popular vote. The votes are for party or coalition lists of candidates for each of the 28 administrative divisions. A party or coalition must garner a minimum of 4% of the vote in order to enter parliament. Parliament 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, deployment of troops outside of Bulgaria, and ratification of international treaties and agreements.
Political parties and elections
Summary of the 2011 Bulgarian presidential election resultsBulgarian presidential election, 2011
A presidential election was held in Bulgaria on 23 October 2011, with a runoff held on 30 October 2011. No candidate won outright in the first round, resulting in a second round runoff between the eventual winner, Rosen Plevneliev of Citizens for European Development of Bulgaria, and Ivaylo Kalfin...
| Candidate | Party | First round | Second round | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Votes | % | Votes | % | |||
| Rosen Plevneliev Rosen Plevneliev Rosen Plevneliev is a Bulgarian politician. He was Minister of Regional Development and Public Works from 2009 to 2011 as part of the cabinet of Boyko Borisov... |
Citizens for European Development of Bulgaria Citizens for European Development of Bulgaria Citizens for European Development of Bulgaria , abbreviated GERB , is a Bulgarian centre-right political party established on March 13 2006. It has been Bulgaria's ruling party since 2009.... |
1,349,380 | 40.11 | 1,698,136 | 52.58 | |
| Ivaylo Kalfin Ivaylo Kalfin Ivaylo Georgiev Kalfin is a Bulgarian politician. A three-term deputy, he was Minister of Foreign Affairs of Bulgaria and Deputy Prime Minister from 2005 to 2009... |
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.... |
974,300 | 28.96 | 1,531,193 | 47.42 | |
| Meglena Kuneva Meglena Kuneva Meglena Shtilianova Kuneva is a Bulgarian and EU politician.Born in Sofia, Kuneva graduated in Law from Sofia University in 1981. In 1984 she became a Doctor of Law. She worked as a journalist for the Law Programme of the Bulgarian National Radio while being an Assistant Professor at Sofia... |
Initiative committee | 470,808 | 14.00 | |||
| Volen Siderov Volen Siderov Volen Nikolov Siderov is a Bulgarian politician and chairman of the nationalist party Attack. He is famous for his hard-line attitude towards minorities in Bulgaria, especially Roma and Turks.-Early life:... |
National Union Attack National Union Attack The National Union Attack is a nationalist political party in Bulgaria. At the last legislative elections, 5 July 2009, it won 9.4% of the popular vote and 21 out of 240 seats... |
122,466 | 3.64 | |||
| Stefan Solakov | National Front for Salvation of Bulgaria National Front for Salvation of Bulgaria The National Front for Salvation of Bulgaria , is a nationalist political party in Bulgaria.-History:The party was established on May 17, 2011 year in sports hall Boycho Branzov in Burgas... |
84,205 | 2.50 | |||
| Rumen Hristov | Blue Coalition Blue Coalition The Blue Coalition is a political coalition in Bulgaria, founded in early 2009 by center-right parties, most importantly Union of the Democratic Forces and Democrats for a Strong Bulgaria... |
65,761 | 1.95 | |||
| Atanas Semov | Order, Law and Justice | 61,797 | 1.84 | |||
| Svetoslav Vitkov | Initiative committee | 54,125 | 1.61 | |||
| Sali Ibrayim | National Movement Unity | 41,837 | 1.24 | |||
| Krasimir Karakachanov | IMRO – Bulgarian National Movement IMRO – Bulgarian National Movement The IMRO – Bulgarian National Movement is a nationalist political party in Bulgaria. The abbreviation IMRO references the Internal Macedonian Revolutionary Organization, a historic Bulgarian-established revolutionary political organization in the Macedonia and Thrace regions. IMRO – BNM's current... |
33,236 | 0.99 | |||
| Aleksey Petrov | Initiative committee | 31,613 | 0.94 | |||
| Maria Kapon | United People's Party | 30,665 | 0.91 | |||
| Nikolay Nenchev | Bulgarian Agrarian National Union Bulgarian Agrarian National Union Bulgarian Agrarian National Union also tiranslated to English as Bulgarian Agrarian People's Union is a political party devoted to representing the causes of the Bulgarian peasantry. It was most powerful between 1900 and 1923. In practice, it was an agrarian movement... |
9,827 | 0.29 | |||
| Pavel Chernev | Party for the People of the Nation | 8,081 | 0.24 | |||
| Ventsislav Yosifov | Initiative committee | 7,021 | 0.21 | |||
| Dimitar Kutsarov | Initiative committee | 6,989 | 0.21 | |||
| Andrey Chorbanov | Bulgarian Democratic Unity | 6,340 | 0.19 | |||
| Nikolay Vasilev | Initiative committee | 5,633 | 0.17 | |||
| Total valid votes | 3,364,084 | 100 | 3,229,329 | 100 | ||
| Invalid/blank votes | 229,844 | 6.40 | 104,837 | 3.14 | ||
| Votes cast (turnout: resp. 52.11% and 48.06%) | 3,593,751 | 100 | 3,334,169 | 100 | ||
| Registered voters | 6,896,216 | |||||
| 6,937,748 | ||||||
| Source: Electoral Commission of Bulgaria | ||||||
Judicial branch
The Bulgarian judicial system consists of regional, district and appeal courts, as well as a Supreme Court of CassationSupreme Court of Cassation of Bulgaria
The Supreme Court of Cassation is the final court of appeal in the Republic of Bulgaria. Its work is governed by the Constitution of 1991. According to Article 124, it exercises supreme judicial power over the application of the law in all courts. The Supreme Court of Cassation may even overturn a...
. In addition, there is a Supreme Administrative Court
Supreme Administrative Court of Bulgaria
The Supreme Administrative Court of Bulgaria was first established on 25 November 1878 as one of the three divisions of the then-single Supreme Court...
and a system of military courts. The Presidents of the Supreme Court of Cassation and the Supreme Administrative Court as well as the Prosecutor General are elected by a qualified majority of two-thirds from all the members of the Supreme Judicial Council and are appointed by the President of the Republic. The Supreme Judicial Council is in charge of the self-administration and organisation of the Judiciary.
A qualified majority of two-thirds of the membership of the Supreme Judicial Council elects the Presidents of the Supreme Court of Cassation and of the Supreme Administrative Court, as well as the Prosecutor General, from among its members; the President of the Republic then appoints those elected.
The Supreme Judicial Council has charge of the self-administration and organization of the Judiciary.
The Constitutional Court supervises the review of the constitutionality of laws and statutes brought before it, as well as the compliance of these laws with international treaties that the Government has signed. Parliament elects the 12 members of the Constitutional Court by a two-thirds majority. The members serve for a nine-year term.
The territory of the Republic of Bulgaria subdivides into provinces and municipalities. Bulgaria has 28 provinces, each headed by a provincial governor appointed by the government. In addition, the country includes 263 municipalities.
The Constitutional Court of Bulgaria
Constitutional Court of Bulgaria
The Constitutional Court of Bulgaria is in charge of reviewing the constitutionality of laws and statutes brought before it, as well as the compliance of these laws with international treaties that the Government has signed. The 12 members of the Constitutional Court serve a nine-year term....
is in charge of reviewing the constitutionality of laws and statutes brought before it, as well as the compliance of these laws with international treaties that the Government has signed. The 12 members of the Constitutional Court serve a nine-year term. Parliament elects 1/3 of them.
Administrative divisions
The territory of the Republic of Bulgaria is divided into provinces and municipalities. In all Bulgaria has 28 provinces, each headed by a provincial governor appointed by the government. In addition, there are 263 municipalities.International relations
|
Non-Aligned Movement The Non-Aligned Movement is a group of states considering themselves not aligned formally with or against any major power bloc. As of 2011, the movement had 120 members and 17 observer countries... (guest) Nuclear Suppliers Group Nuclear Suppliers Group is a multinational body concerned with reducing nuclear proliferation by controlling the export and re-transfer of materials that may be applicable to nuclear weapon development and by improving safeguards and protection on existing materials.- History :It was founded in... Organization of American States The Organization of American States is a regional international organization, headquartered in Washington, D.C., United States... (observer) Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons The Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons is an intergovernmental organization, located in The Hague, Netherlands. The organization promotes and verifies the adherence to the Chemical Weapons Convention which prohibits of the use of chemical weapons and requires their destruction... Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe The Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe is the world's largest security-oriented intergovernmental organization. Its mandate includes issues such as arms control, human rights, freedom of the press and fair elections... Permanent Court of Arbitration The Permanent Court of Arbitration , is an international organization based in The Hague in the Netherlands.-History:The court was established in 1899 as one of the acts of the first Hague Peace Conference, which makes it the oldest institution for international dispute resolution.The creation of... Partnership for Peace Partnership for Peace is a North Atlantic Treaty Organisation program aimed at creating trust between NATO and other states in Europe and the former Soviet Union; 22 States are members... Southeast European Cooperative Initiative The Southeast European Cooperative Initiative, or the SECI, has been an initiative that, under the auspices of men like Erhard Busek and Richard Schifter, has been successful in providing stability in an unstable region and has found support in international organizations and countries... United Nations The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace... United Nations Conference on Trade and Development The United Nations Conference on Trade and Development was established in 1964 as a permanent intergovernmental body. It is the principal organ of the United Nations General Assembly dealing with trade, investment, and development issues.... UNESCO The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations... United Nations Industrial Development Organization The United Nations Industrial Development Organization , French/Spanish acronym ONUDI, is a specialized agency in the United Nations system, headquartered in Vienna, Austria... United Nations Mission in Ethiopia and Eritrea The United Nations Mission in Ethiopia and Eritrea was established by the United Nations Security Council in July 2000 to monitor a ceasefire in the border war that began in 1998 between Ethiopia and Eritrea.... United Nations Mission in Bosnia and Herzegovina The United Nations Mission in Bosnia and Herzegovina was an international organization formed under the United Nations Security Council Resolution 1035 on 21 December 1995. It completed its mandate on 31 December 2002, when it was succeeded by the European Union Police Mission in Bosnia and... United Nations Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo The United Nations Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo or UNMIK is the interim civilian administration in Kosovo, under the authority of the United Nations. The mission was established on 10 June 1999 by Security Council Resolution 1244... United Nations Mission of Observers in Prevlaka UN Mission of Observers in Prevlaka was established on 15 January 1996 in Security Council Resolution 1038 as a peacekeeping mission to monitor the demilitarization of the disputed Prevlaka peninsula by carrying out daily foot and vehicle patrols on both sides of the border between Croatia and... Universal Postal Union The Universal Postal Union is an international organization that coordinates postal policies among member nations, in addition to the worldwide postal system. The UPU contains four bodies consisting of the Congress, the Council of Administration , the Postal Operations Council and the... World Customs Organization The World Customs Organization is an intergovernmental organization headquartered in Brussels, Belgium. With its worldwide membership, the WCO is recognized as the voice of the global customs community... Western European Union The Western European Union was an international organisation tasked with implementing the Modified Treaty of Brussels , an amended version of the original 1948 Treaty of Brussels... (associate partner) World Federation of Trade Unions The World Federation of Trade Unions was established in 1945 to replace the International Federation of Trade Unions. Its mission was to bring together trade unions across the world in a single international organization, much like the United Nations... World Health Organization The World Health Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations that acts as a coordinating authority on international public health. Established on 7 April 1948, with headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland, the agency inherited the mandate and resources of its predecessor, the Health... World Intellectual Property Organization The World Intellectual Property Organization is one of the 17 specialized agencies of the United Nations. WIPO was created in 1967 "to encourage creative activity, to promote the protection of intellectual property throughout the world".... World Meteorological Organization The World Meteorological Organization is an intergovernmental organization with a membership of 189 Member States and Territories. It originated from the International Meteorological Organization , which was founded in 1873... World Tourism Organization The World Tourism Organization , based in Madrid, Spain, is a United Nations agency dealing with questions relating to tourism. It compiles the World Tourism rankings. The World Tourism Organization is a significant global body, concerned with the collection and collation of statistical information... World Trade Organization The World Trade Organization is an organization that intends to supervise and liberalize international trade. The organization officially commenced on January 1, 1995 under the Marrakech Agreement, replacing the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade , which commenced in 1948... Zangger Committee The Zangger Committee, also known as the Nuclear Exporters Committee, sprang from Article III.2 of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons which entered into force on March 5, 1970... |
Other data
Political pressure groups and leaders:- Confederation of Independent Trade Unions of BulgariaConfederation of Independent Trade Unions of BulgariaThe Confederation of Independent Trade Unions of Bulgaria is a trade union confederation in Bulgaria. It was formed in February, 1990 out of the Central Council of Trade Unions ....
or CITUB - Confederation of Labour PodkrepaConfederation of Labour PodkrepaThe Confederation of Labour Podkrepa is a trade union centre in Bulgaria. It was founded February 8, 1989 and has a membership of approximately 150,000....
- numerous regional, ethnic, and national interest groups with various agendas
See also
- List of ministries of Bulgaria
- Foreign relations of BulgariaForeign relations of BulgariaBulgaria has generally good foreign relations with its neighbours and has proved to be a constructive force in the region under socialist and democratic governments alike. Promoting regional stability, Bulgaria hosted a Southeast European Foreign Ministers meeting in July 1996, and an OSCE...
- Flag of BulgariaFlag of BulgariaThe flag of Bulgaria is a tricolour consisting of three equal-sized horizontal bands of white, green, and red. The flag was first adopted after the Russo-Turkish War , where Bulgaria gained independence. The national flag at times was charged with the state emblem, especially during the People's...