Government and Politics of Bulgaria

Government Type

parliamentary democracy

Administrative Divisions

28 provinces (oblasti, singular - oblast); Blagoevgrad, Burgas, Dobrich, Gabrovo, Khaskovo, Kurdzhali, Kyustendil, Lovech, Montana, Pazardzhik, Pernik, Pleven, Plovdiv, Razgrad, Ruse, Shumen, Silistra, Sliven, Smolyan, Sofiya, Sofiya-Grad, Stara Zagora, Turgovishte, Varna, Veliko Turnovo, Vidin, Vratsa, Yambol

Legal System

civil law and criminal law based on Roman law; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Citizenship

citizenship by birth: no citizenship by descent only: at least one parent must be a citizen of Bulgaria dual citizenship recognized: yes residency requirement for naturalization: 5 years

Executive Branch

chief of state: President Rumen RADEV (since 22 January 2017; reelected for a second term beginning 22 January 2022); Vice President Iliana IOTOVA (since 22 January 2017; reelected alongside RADEV) head of government: Prime Minister Rossen JELIAZKOV (since 6 April 2024); Deputy Prime Ministers Atanas ZAFIROV, Krasimir KARAKACHANOV, and Tomislav DONCHEV (since April 2024) cabinet: Council of Ministers nominated by the prime minister and elected by the National Assembly elections: president and vice president elected on the same ticket by popular vote for five-year terms; election last held 14 and 21 November 2021 (next to be held in November 2026); chairman of the Council of Ministers (prime minister) nominated by the president and elected by the National Assembly; deputy prime ministers nominated by the prime minister and elected by the National Assembly election results: Rumen RADEV reelected president in runoff; percent of vote - Rumen RADEV 66.7%, Anastas GERDZHIKOV 31.8%; Rossen JELIAZKOV elected prime minister following parliamentary approval in April 2024 after a prolonged period of political instability that saw multiple caretaker governments

Legislative Branch

unicameral National Assembly or Narodno Sabranie (240 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms) elections: Bulgaria has held multiple parliamentary elections in recent years due to political instability, including snap elections in April 2021, July 2021, November 2021, October 2022, and April 2023; the most recent regular election was held on 9 June 2024 election results: percent of vote by party - GERB-SDS 24.2%, PP-DB 14.2%, DPS 14.0%, Vazrazhdane 13.4%, BSP 7.0%, Velichie 4.5%, ITN 4.0%; seats by party - GERB-SDS 69, PP-DB 38, DPS 38, Vazrazhdane 38, BSP 20, Velichie 13, ITN 12, others 12

Judicial Branch

Supreme Administrative Court; Supreme Court of Cassation; Constitutional Court (12 justices appointed or elected for nine-year terms); Supreme Judicial Council (consists of the chairmen of the two Supreme Courts, the Chief Prosecutor, and 22 other members; responsible for appointing the justices, prosecutors, and investigating magistrates in the justice system; members of the Supreme Judicial Council elected for five-year terms, 11 elected by the National Assembly and 11 by bodies of the judiciary)

Political Parties

ATAKA (Attack Coalition) (coalition of parties headed by the Attack National Union); Attack National Union [Volen Siderov]; Bulgarian Agrarian National Union-People's Union or BANU [Anastasia MOZER]; Bulgarian People's Union or BPU (coalition of UFD, IMRO, and BANU); Bulgarian Socialist Party or BSP [Sergei STANISHEV]; Coalition for Bulgaria or CfB (coalition of parties dominated by BSP) [Sergei STANISHEV]; Democrats for a Strong Bulgaria or DSB [Ivan KOSTOV]; Internal Macedonian Revolutionary Organization or IMRO [Krasimir KARAKACHANOV]; Movement for Rights and Freedoms or MRF [Ahmed DOGAN]; National Movement for Simeon II or NMS2 [Simeon SAXE-COBURG-GOTHA]; New Time [Emil KOSHLUKOV]; Union of Democratic Forces or UDF [Petar STOYANOV]; Union of Free Democrats or UFD [Stefan SOFIYANSKI]; United Democratic Forces or UtDF (a coalition of center-right parties dominated by UDF)

Head of State

President Rumen RADEV (since 22 January 2017

Head of Government

Prime Minister Rossen JELIAZKOV

Cabinet

Council of Ministers nominated by the prime minister and elected by the National Assembly

Elections

Bulgaria has held multiple parliamentary elections in recent years due to political instability, including snap elections in April 2021, July 2021, November 2021, October 2022, and April 2023; the most recent regular election was held on 9 June 2024

Election Results

percent of vote by party - GERB-SDS 24.2%, PP-DB 14.2%, DPS 14.0%, Vazrazhdane 13.4%, BSP 7.0%, Velichie 4.5%, ITN 4.0%; seats by party - GERB-SDS 69, PP-DB 38, DPS 38, Vazrazhdane 38, BSP 20, Velichie 13, ITN 12, others 12

Constitution

adopted 12 July 1991

Independence

3 March 1878 (from Ottoman Empire)

National Holiday

Liberation Day, 3 March (1878)

International Organization Participation

ACCT, Australia Group, BIS, BSEC, CE, CEI, CERN, EAPC, EBRD, EU (applicant), FAO, G- 9, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM, IFC, IFRCS, IHO (pending member), ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, NAM (guest), NSG, OAS (observer), OPCW, OSCE, PCA, PFP, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNMEE, UNMIK, UPU, WCL, WCO, WEU (associate partner), WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO, ZC

Diplomatic Representation in the U.S.

chief of mission: Ambassador Elena B. POPTODOROVA chancery: 1621 22nd Street NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 387-0174 FAX: [1] (202) 234-7973 consulate(s) general: Chicago, Los Angeles, New York

U.S. Diplomatic Representation

chief of mission: Ambassador John Ross BEYRLE embassy: 16 Kozyak Street, Sofia 1407 mailing address: American Embassy Sofia, Department of State, 5740 Sofia Place, Washington, DC 20521-5740 telephone: [359] (2) 937-5100 FAX: [359] (2) 937-5230

Capital City

Sofia

Location

42 41 N, 23 19 E

Time Difference

UTC+2 (7 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)

History

named after the Saint Sofia Church in the city, parts of which date back to the 4th century A.D.

U.S. Embassy Sofia 16, Kozyak St., Sofia 1408; Telephone: ( 359 2) 937-5100; Fax: ( 359 2) 937-5209; Non-immigrant Visa Matters: NIV_Sofia@state.gov Immigrant Visa Matters: IV_Sofia@gov American Citizen Services Matters: ACS_Sofia@state.gov

Military Branches

Bulgarian Armed Forces: Ground Forces, Naval Forces, Bulgarian Air Forces (Bulgarski Voennovazdyshni Sily, BVVS)

Service Age and Obligation

18-27 years of age for voluntary military service; conscription ended in January 2008; service obligation 6-9 months