Government & politics — Bulgaria

• history: several previous; latest drafted between late 1990 and early 1991,
• adopted 13 July 1991 amendments: proposed by the National Assembly or by the president of the republic; passage requires three-fourths majority vote of National Assembly members in three ballots; signed by the National Assembly chairperson; note - under special circumstances, a "Grand National Assembly" is elected with the authority to write a new constitution and amend certain articles of the constitution, including those affecting basic civil rights and national sovereignty; passage requires at least two-thirds majority vote in each of several readings; amended several times, last in 2015

• chief of state: Pre
• sident Rumen RADEV (since 22 January 2017) head of government: Pr
• ime Minister Rosen ZHELYAZKOV (since 16 January 2025) cabinet: Council of Ministers nominated by the prime minister,
• elected by the National Assembly election/appointment process: president and vice president elected on the same ballot by absolute-majority popular vote in 2 rounds, if needed, for a 5-year term (eligible for a second term); chairman of the Council of Ministers (prime minister) elected by the National Assembly; deputy prime ministers nominated by the prime minister,
• elected by the National Assembly most recent election date: 14
• and 21 November 2021 election results: 2021: Rumen RADEV reelected president in second round; percent of vote in the first round - Rumen RADEV (independent) 49.4%, Anastas GERDZHIKOV (independent) 22.8%, Mustafa KARADAYI (DPS) 11.6%, Kostadin KOSTADINOV (Revival) 3.9%, Lozan PANOV (independent) 3.7%, other 8.6%; percent of vote in the second round - Rumen RADEV 66.7%, Anastas GERDZHIKOV 31.8%, neither 1.5% 2016: Rumen RADEV elected president in second round; percent of vote - Rumen RADEV (independent, supported by Bulgarian Socialist Party) 59.4%, Tsetska TSACHEVA (GERB) 36.2%, neither 4.5%
• expected date of next election: fall 2026

Description

unicameral National Assembly or Narodno Sabranie (240 seats; members directly elected in multi-seat constituencies by open-list, proportional representation vote to serve 4-year terms)

Elections

last held on 2 April 2023 (next election to be held in 2027)

Election Results

• percent of vote by party/coalition - GERB-SDS 25.4%, PP-DB 23.5%, Revival 13.6%, DPS 13.2%, BSP for Bulgaria 8.6%, ITN 3.9%, other 11.8%
• seats by party/coalition GERB-SDS 69, PP-DB 64, Revival 37, DPS 36, BSP for Bulgaria 23, ITN 11
• composition as of January 2024 - men 179, women 61, percent of women 25.4%

• highest court(s): Supreme Court of Cassation (consists of a chairman and approximately 72 judges organized into penal, civil, and commercial colleges); Supreme Administrative Court (organized into 2 colleges with various panels of 5 judges each); Constitutional Court (consists of 12 justices); note - Constitutional Court res
• ides outside the judiciary judge selection and term of office: Supreme Court of Cassation and Supreme Administrative judges elected by the Supreme Judicial Council or SJC (consists of 25 members with extensive legal experience) and appointed by the president; judges can serve until mandatory retirement at age 65; Constitutional Court justices elected by the National Assembly and appointed by the president and the SJC; justices appointed for 9-year term
• s with renewal of 4 justices every 3 years subordinate courts: appeals courts; regional and district courts; administrative courts; courts martial

28 provinces (oblasti, singular - oblast) Blagoevgrad, Burgas, Dobrich, Gabrovo, Haskovo, Kardzhali, Kyustendil, Lovech, Montana, Pazardzhik, Pernik, Pleven, Plovdiv, Razgrad, Ruse, Shumen, Silistra, Sliven, Smolyan, Sofia, Sofia-Grad (Sofia City), Stara Zagora, Targovishte, Varna, Veliko Tarnovo, Vidin, Vratsa, Yambol

• BSP for Bulgaria [Korneliya NINOVA] (electoral alliance of BSP, PKT, Ecoglasnost)
• Bulgarian Rise or BV [Stefan YANEV]
• Bulgarian Socialist Party or BSP [Korneliya NINOVA]
• Citizens for the European Development of Bulgaria or GERB [Boyko BORISOV] (alliance with SDS)
• Democratic Bulgaria or DB (electoral alliance of Yes! Bulgaria, DSB, and The Greens) [Atanas ATANASOV, Hristo IVANOV]
• Democrats for a Strong Bulgaria or DSB [Atanas ATANASOV]
• Ecoglasnost [Emil GEORGIEV]
• Green Movement or The Greens [Dobromira KOSTOVA, Vladislav PENEV]
• Movement for Rights and Freedoms or DPS [Mustafa KARADAYI]
• Political Club Thrace or PKT [Stefan NACHEZ]
• Revival [Kostadin KOSTADINOV]
• Stand Up.BG or IS.BG [Maya MANOLOVA]
• There is Such a People or ITN [Slavi TRIFONOV]
• Union of Democratic Forces or SDS [Rumen HRISTOV] (alliance with GERB)
• Yes! Bulgaria [Hristo IVANOV]
• We Continue the Change or PP [Kiril PETKOV and Asen VASILEV]
• We Continue the Change and Democratic Bulgaria or PP-DB [Kiril PETKOV, Asen VASILEV, Hristo IVANOV, and Atanas ATANASOV] (electoral alliance of PP, DB, Yes! Bulgaria)

• no citizenship by descent only: at least one par
• yes residency requirement for naturalization: 5 years

Australia Group, BIS, BSEC, CD, CE, CEI, CERN, EAPC, EBRD, ECB, EIB, EU, FAO, G- 9, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (national committees), ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IFC, IFRCS, IHO (pending member), ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), MIGA, NATO, NSG, OAS (observer), OIF, OPCW, OSCE, PCA, SELEC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNHRC, UNIDO, UNMIL, UNOOSA, UNWTO, UPU, Wassenaar Arrangement, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC

chief of mission

Ambassador Kenneth MERTEN (since 7 April 2023) embassy: 16, Kozyak Street, Sofia 1408 mailing address: 5740 Sofia Place, Washington, DC 20521-5740

telephone

[359] (2) 937-5100

FAX

[359] (2) 937-5320

Email address and website

• acs_sofia@state.gov
• https://bg.usembassy.gov/

chief of mission

Ambassador Georgi Velikov PANAYOTOV (since 7 June 2022)

chancery

1621 22nd Street NW, Washington, DC 20008

telephone

[1] (202) 387 5770; [1] (202) 387-0174; [1] (202) 299-0273, [1] (202) 483-1386

FAX

[1] (202) 234-7973

Email address and website

• office@bulgaria-embassy.org
• https://www.bulgaria-embassy.org/en/homepage/

consulate(s) general

Chicago, Los Angeles, New York