БЪЛГАРИЯ « BƏLGARIJA »
— Officially: Република България « Republika Bəlgarija ».
— English: Bulgaria.
— Seat of government: София « Sofija ».
— Status: Democratic.
— Structure: The parliament (Народно Събрание « Narodno Səbranie ») is elected in geographical constituencies, modified by proportional representation, and chooses the government, led by a prime minister. The president is elected directly.
— Governing parties: Граждани за Европейско Развитие на България « Graždani za Evropeĭsko Razvitie na Bəlgarija »; Реформаторски Блок « Reformatorski Blok »; Алтернатива за Българско Възраждане « Alternativa za Bəlgarsko Vəzraždane ».
— Heads of government: Огнян Герджиков « Ognjan Gerdžikov », prime minister (since 2017); Румен Радев « Rumen Radev », president (since 2017).
— Other parliamentary parties: Коалиция за България « Koalicija za Bəlgarija » (chiefly Българска Социалистическа Партия « Bəlgarska Socialističeska Partija »); Движение за Права и Свободи « Dviženie za Prava i Svobodi » / Hak ve Özgürlükler Hareketi; Патриотичен Фронт « Patriotičen Front » (supporting the government from outside); България без Цензура « Bəlgarija bez Cenzura »; Атака « Ataka ».
— Assessment: While generally viewed as the most corrupt member of the European Union, it is clearly democratic: nearly every election in the democratic period has led to a genuine change of government. Politics is characterized by the persistence of the БСП « BSP » (the continuation of the Българска Комунистическа Партия « Bəlgarska Komunističeska Partija ») and the shocking electoral success of brand new parties. In 2001, the state’s last monarch (1943-6), Симеон Сакскобургготски « Simeon Sakskoburggotski », became prime minister, after his new party, Национално Движение Симеон Втори « Nacionalno Dviženie Simeon Vtori », won half the seats in parliament. After the 2005 elections, the three largest parties (КБ « KB »/БСП « BSP », НДСВ « NDSV », ДПС « DPS »/HÖH) were compelled to form a government to prepare for EU accession; prime minister Сергей Станишев « Sergeĭ Stanišev » (2005-9) of the БСП « BSP » was something of a junior partner to other figures in his own party, including then-president Георги Първанов « Georgi Pərvanov » (2002-12). ГЕРБ « GERB » won handily in 2009, and Бойко Борисов « Boĭko Borisov » (2009-13, 2014-7) became prime minister. Protests brought down the government in 2013; an election that year returned only ГЕРБ « GERB », КБ « KB »/БСП « BSP », ДПС « DPS »/HÖH, and Атака « Ataka » to parliament, and КБ « KB » and ДПС « DPS »/HÖH ended up supporting a technocratic government under Пламен Орешарски « Plamen Orešarski ». Early elections were called in 2014, ГЕРБ « GERB » won a plurality again, and Борисов « Borisov » returned as prime minister. In 2016, Радев « Radev », supported by the БСП « BSP », defeated the ГЕРБ « GERB » nominee, Цецка Цачева « Cecka Cačeva », in a presidential election, prompting Борисов « Borisov » to resign and schedule a new election.
— FH: 2-2, free. Econ: 7.02 (52), flawed democracy.
— Updated: 2017 March 24.
O.T. FORD