Government

The constitution of 1947 established Bulgaria as a Communist state. In 1990 the constitution was amended and the Communist party lost its monopoly on political power. A new constitution, which established Bulgaria as a parliamentary democracy, was ratified in 1991.

The constitution of 1991 provides for a single-chamber legislature, the National Assembly. The 240 members of the Assembly are elected for four-year terms. The president is head of state and is elected by popular vote for a five-year term. He acts as the commander in chief of the armed forces and holds legal and administrative duties. The prime minister, who is the head of government, is elected by the party with the majority of seats in the Assembly. The prime minister heads the Council of Ministers, a cabinet, which helps him carry out the daily operations of the country.

All Bulgarians who are aged 18 years or more may vote.

There are 100 administrative regions in Bulgaria, each governed by a popularly elected official. There also exist some 1,100 urban and rural communities, each of which is governed by an official appointed by an elected people's council.

Bulgaria’s highest court is the High Judicial Council, which consists of 11 members appointed by the National Assembly, 11 appointed by other judicial authorities, and 3 appointed by the president. The lower courts of Bulgaria include a Supreme Court of Appeals; a Supreme Administrative Court; and regional, district, and appeals courts. The military has its own individual court.

Bulgaria’s defense forces consist of a regular army, an air force, and a navy, and all men who are 18 years old or more may be recruited to serve for a period of 18 months.