About BULGARIA

Bulgaria is situated in the south - east part of Europe, and in the eastern part of the Balkan Peninsular. For centuries, the roads passing through the territory of the country have been connecting Europe with Asia and Africa. Four common European transport corridors, connecting West and North Europe with the eastern and southern part of the continent cross their roads here.
Apart from its being situated on crossroads, Bulgaria is also known for its picturesque nature. In spite of its relatively small territory (110 912 km2), the country has various landscape. The scenery changes subsequently from vast plains, to hilly areas and high mountains.

Large beaches and beautiful rocky shores stretch out along the Black sea coast.

Territory
110 993,6 km2

Population
7 973 671

Capital
Sofia

Official language
Bulgarian

Political system
Parliamentary Republic

Head of State
Georgi Purvanov

Prime Minister
Sergey Stanishev

Administrative regions
Sofia - city, Sofia district, Burgas, Varna, Plovdiv, Rousse, Haskovo, Lovetch, Montana, Sliven, Yambol, Dobrich, Silistra, Shumen, Gabrovo, Pleven, Vidin, Vratza, Veliko Tarnovo, Pazardjik, Smolyan, Razgrad, Targovishte, Blagoevgrad, Pernik, Kardjali, Stara Zagora.

Official holidays
January 1st - New Years's Holiday;
March 3d - National Holiday;
Easter, and the first Monday after Easter;
May 1st - Labour Day;
May 6th - Gergyovden, and the Bulgarian Military Army's Day;
May 24th - Cyril and Methodius Day;
September 6th - Unification Day;
September 22d - Independence Day;
November 1st - National Day of the Bulgarian Revival Leaders;
December 24,25,26 - Christmas Days;

National currency
Lev

Measures and scales
the metric system

Time zone
GMT +2

Demographic data: (01.03.2001):

Population
7 973 671

Men
3 888 440

Population in towns
5 500 695

Population growth
(%) -5,1

Employed (December, 2000)
3 272,2 thousand

State structure

Constitution

The acting Constitution of the Republic of Bulgaria was adopted in July 1991. It was built on the basic principles of the contemporary constitutionalism. The Constitution provides a multi- party parliamentary system and free elections, in which all the citizens of the Republic of Bulgaria take part with the right to vote. After the elections, the largest parliamentary group constructs the government. So that the government is approved (The Council of Ministers), as well as for adoption of regular legal acts, general parliament majority is required. Amendments in the Constitution are to be adopted through three quarters of parliament majority.

The President

The President is the Head of State and is elected with direct elections once in every five years, for not more that two mandates.

The Vice President is elected at the same time, with the same voting paper, and under the same conditions and procedure, as of the President.

The President is the supreme commander of the military forces of the Republic of Bulgaria. He assigns and discharges the supreme command staff of the military forces and promotes the supreme officers into higher ranks on proposals by the Council of Ministers. The President is the Chairperson of the Consultative Council for national security and has the power to:

- declare war in case of armed attack against Bulgaria, or if necessary, the country's implementation of international agreements; declares general, or partial mobilization on request of the Council of Ministers;
- declares martial law, or any other state of emergency, at cases when the National Assembly is not in session and is impossible to be called;
- gives order to the Prime Minister to form the government;
- selects the date of the elections for the National Assembly, as well as for the local self-management authorities;
- points out the date for national referendum, after the corresponding decision of the National Assembly;
- approves the adopted by the Parliament laws with a Decree, signed also by the Prime Minister, or by the relevant Minister.

The Parliament

Bulgaria is a Parliamentary Republic and the basic power in the country is the legislative one. The Parliament (The National Assembly) exercises the legislative power, as well as the right to parliamentary control.

The mandate of the National Assembly is a 4 - year one.

The National Assembly consists of 240 MPs. They are elected directly by the voters for a 4 year term, on the basis of the proportional system. So that the parties and the pre-election coalitions enter the National Assembly, they must collect above 4% of the total number of votes at the elections. The MPs of the National Assembly represent not only their election regions, but the whole nation as well. The MPs work in compliance with the Constitution and the legislation, following their conscience and convictions. The National Assembly elects temporary and permanent commissions, where MPs participate. It adopts laws, decisions, declarations and statements. Every member of the National Assembly, or the Council of Ministers has the right to introduce a draft of a law. The draft law on the state budget is developed and introduced by the Council of Ministers.

The Government

The government (The Council of Ministers) is the main body of the executive power, headed by the Prime Minister. The Council of Ministers rules and conducts the internal and foreign policy of the state, secures the public order and the national security, exercises control over the public administration and the military forces.

The Prime Minister to be is nominated by the largest parliamentary group, after which the President hands in the mandate to him for forming the government. The proposed Council of Ministers is voted by the National Assembly, which controls directly the activity of the government.

Local executive authorities

The status and powers of the local executive authorities depend on the territory structure of the country.

The municipality is the main administrative territorial unit for the local government. The policy of every municipality is determined by the Municipality Council and includes the economic development, the environmental policy, the educational, the cultural, etc. activities. The Municipality Council approves the annual budgets and development plans of the corresponding municipality.

Every municipality is ruled by a Mayor. The Mayor is in charge of the whole executive activity of the municipality, of keeping the public order, and organizes the distribution of the municipality budget.

The region is the bigger administrative territorial unit. Through it the governmental local policy is conducted in a decentralized and more effective way. A regional governor, assigned by the Council of Ministers, rules each region.

The Judiciary

The judicial power in Bulgaria is independent. It is built up on the basis of a procedure of three instances.

The Supreme Administrative Court (SAC), and the Supreme Cassation Court (SCC) exercise control over the implementation of the law by the courts of lower instances, and take decisions on the legality of the executive power's acts.

The Constitutional Court determines if the laws and the international agreements are in compliance with the Constitution.

A Supreme Judicial Council (SJC) has been established, which organizes the activity of the judiciary.

Source:
Republic of Bulgaria, Council of Ministers
http://www.evroportal.bg/