BASIC INFORMATION
Full Country Name:The
Country Profile:
Area: 110,993 sq km (42,823 sq mi)
Population: 7.45 million
Capital City: Sofia
People: Bulgarian (83%), Turk (8.5%), Roma (2.6%)
Languages: Bulgarian
Religion(s): Bulgarian Orthodox (83.5%), Muslim (13%), Roman Catholic (1.5%), Jewish (0.8%)v
Currency: Lev (Lv)
Major political parties: Bulgarian Socialist Party (BSP), National Movement “ Simeon the Second” (NDSV), Movement for Rights and Freedoms (MRF), Ataka, United Democratic Forces (UtDF), Democrats for Strong Bulgaria (DSB)
Government: Parliamentary Republic
President: Georgi Purvanov
Prime Minister: Sergei Stanishev
Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister: Ivailo Kalfin
Membership of international groupings/ organisations:
European Union (EU)
Council of Europe (COE)
European Organisation for Nuclear Research (CERN)
Euro-Atlantic Partnership Council (EAPC)
European Bank of Reconstruction and Development (EBRD)
International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD)
International Hydrographic Organisation (IHO) (pending member)
International Labour Organisation (ILO), International Monetary Fund (IMF)
Organisation for Co-operation and Security in Europe (OSCE)
North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO)
World Health Organisation (WHO)
World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO)
World Meteorological Organisation (WMO)
World Trade Organisation (WTO)
GEOGRAPHY
Bulgaria covers an area of roughly 42,800 square miles, comprised mostly of mountains with lowlands in the north and south-east. It shares borders with , , , and , and has a long
HISTORY
Recent History
After the Second World War the Bulgarian Communist Party emerged to become the leading political force in the country. Under Soviet guidance, a purge destroyed the remnants of the old regime, and by 1947 all opposition was suppressed. Policies were a direct imitation of Soviet practice; industry was nationalised and agriculture collectivised. From 1954 to 1989 Todor Zhivkov, Chairman of the State Council, dominated political life, becoming the longest serving leader of any of the Soviet bloc nations. Unlike other Soviet satellites, remained acquiescent to Soviet hegemony.
Zhivkov attempted to modernise ’s economy, and achieved some success with industrialisation and the development of tourism and agriculture. But by the 1980s, as elsewhere in
Longer Historical Perspective
The Bulgarians are descended from the Slavs who migrated into the
From the end of the 14th century was subjected to 500 years of Ottoman rule, which was finally brought to an end with the help of in 1877. However, remained under Ottoman suzerainty until 1908, at which time full independence was declared.
is a parliamentary republic ruled by a democratically elected government. The President is head of the executive branch. The National Assembly consists of 240 deputies who are elected for 4-year terms. Voters select candidates from party or coalition lists in each of the twenty-eight administrative divisions. A party or coalition must receive at least 4% of the national vote to enter parliament. Parliament is responsible, amongst other things, for enacting laws, approving the budget, scheduling the presidential elections, declaring war, and ratifying of international treaties and agreements. There is no second chamber.
The President of Bulgaria is elected for a five-year term, with a two-term maximum. The President serves as the head of state and commander in chief of the armed forces. The President's main duties are to schedule elections and referenda, represent abroad, and to head the Consultative Council for National Security. The President does not have the power to invite someone to form a government following Parliamentary elections. He/she must instead grant the mandate to the party with the most seats. Also, the President has no veto; he/she may return legislation to the National Assembly for further debate, but it can be passed again by a majority vote. Presidential elections can go to two rounds. For a candidate to win in the first round he/she needs i) more than 50% of the vote and ii) a 50% turnout. If either condition is unfulfilled, the election goes to a run-off between the two nominees with the most votes.
The last Parliamentary elections took place on June 2005. On 15 August 2005, after a series of political negotiations with the main political parties, the BSP agreed a coalition government with NDSV and the MRF. The next elections are planned for summer 2009. See Recent Political Developments for more information.
The last Presidential elections took place in October 2006. The elections went to a second round, which pitted incumbent Georgi Purvanov against right-wing extremist candidate Volen Siderov. Purvanov won 76% of the vote, becoming the first Bulgarian President to retain office via popular mandate since the changes of 1989. See Recent Political Developments for more information.
Recent Political Developments
Following the collapse of the Communist regime in 1989, suffered from a series of weak governments. The Bulgarian Socialist Party, (BSP, formerly Communist Party), won a clear majority in elections in 1994, raising expectations of a strong and purposeful government. But effective action was not taken against corruption and organised crime, and much-needed fundamental economic reforms were not implemented.
In November 1996, against a background of hyperinflation and a crisis in the banking sector, centre right Peter Stoyanov convincingly won the presidential elections. Unable to resolve a series of public demonstrations and strikes, the BSP government resigned in December 1996. The Parliamentary elections in April 1997 returned a coalition government, led by the centre-right UDF (Union of Democratic Forces).
The government took a number of actions, including setting up a currency board (tying the Lev to the German mark) and negotiating the IMF stand-by agreement, and succeeded in stabilising the economy. The government also started on the path to eventual NATO and EU membership, opening Accession negotiations in 2000.
However, the benefits of the reforms were slow to transfer themselves to the people, who became disillusioned with the lack of day-to-day improvement, and the failure of the government to tackle corruption and organised crime. In 2001 the electorate responded by electing BSP leader Georgi Purvanov in the Presidential elections, and voting out of the UDF-led coalition in the Parliamentary elections. Simeon Saxe-Coburg-Gotha, the last king of (he ruled from 1943 to 1946), formed a new coalition with his new party, the National Movement Simeon II (NDSV), the dominant force. The Movement of Rights and Freedoms (MRF) was the junior party in the coalition.
The coalition continued to push through the reforms necessary for to join EU and NATO. Bulgaria joined NATO in May 2004, and signed the signed the EU Accession Treaty in April 2005, guaranteeing that Bulgaria would accede to the Union in either 2007 or 2008, depending on the pace of reform.
However, the people remained unhappy with the pace of change, and power again changed hands at the June 2005 parliamentary elections. The BSP (socialists) emerged as the leading party with 82 seats, but struggled to form a workable coalition. Eventually, in August 2005 the BSP agreed a coalition government with NDSV and the MRF. Sergei Stanishev, the leader of the BSP, became Prime Minister, and announced that his government’s priorities were to join the EU in 2007 and to tackle corruption and organised crime. These parliamentary elections were also significant for the emergence of Ataka, an extreme nationalist party headed by Volen Siderov (a former television host), who won 22 seats.
Presidential elections were held in October 2006, and went to a second round run-off between Georgi Purvanov, the incumbent, and extremist candidate Volen Siderov. Purvanov received 76% of the vote, and Volen Siderov (extremist Ataka) 24%, making Purvanov the first Bulgarian President to retain office via popular mandate since the changes of 1989. As with the 2005 Parliamentary elections, turnout was low, with around 42% of the electorate voting in each of the rounds.
joined the EU on 1 January 2007, as recommended by the European Commission in a Monitoring report published in September 2006. However, the report outlined outstanding issues in Justice and Home Affairs, Agriculture and Aviation Safety that will continue to be monitored post- accession. The Commission will report on progress in these areas in June 2007. Safeguard measures may be applied if fails to make sufficient progress in tackling these concerns.
ECONOMY
Basic Economic Facts
GDP: €21.448bn (2005)
GDP per head: €2,779 (2005)
Annual Growth: 5.5 % (2005)
Inflation: 6.5% (2005)
Unemployment: 9.7% (1Q2006, down by 1.6%)
Exports: € 9,454.1m (2005)
Imports: € 14,682.4bn (2005)
Major Industries: Machine building and metal working, refined petroleum products, food processing, chemicals, construction materials, ferrous and non-ferrous metals, textiles and clothing, power generation (including nuclear)
Major trading partners:
Germany (trade turnover of €5.735m), Italy (€4.794m), Russia (€ 4.725m), Turkey (€ 3.674m), Greece (€ 3.181m), France (€ 2.196m)
Trade Balance: €5,228.3bn
Current Account: 11.8% of GDP
Fiscal Balance: 3.2% of GDP (2005)
Foreign Direct Investments: (net): €1,856m (9.5% of GDP [2005] )
External Debts: 67.7% of GDP ( end-2005)
Foreign Exchange Reserves: € 6,536.7m (30.5% of GDP [end-2005] )
Exchange rate: 1€ = 1.983 lev; 1 US$ = 1.5782 lev (average 2005)
Bulgaria has made significant economic advances in the last few years, seeing an average GDP growth of 4.5% between 1998 and 2005. In 2005, GDP growth reached 5.5%. This growth has been driven by increased FDI, domestic consumption and exports. FDI inflows in were the highest in the whole of Central and
56% of ’s trade is with the EU –principally with , and . UK-Bulgaria trade increased in 2005 by 41% and exports to were worth �318m. The highest value exports are medicinal and pharmaceutical products; telecommunications equipment; and electrical machinery. The was the third largest foreign investor in 2005. British companies include Shell, Unilever and British Nuclear Fuels.
INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS
's Relations with Neighbours
has accorded high priority to promoting good relations with its neighbours. It has signed significant bilateral confidence building agreements with both and , and established a Balkan initiative for regional security and co-operation.
's Relations with the International Community
joined NATO in 2004, and is a long standing contributor of troops to and following an election pledge. withdrew its troops from the multinational force in in December 2005. However, a 150-strong guard force has been deployed in
became member of NATO in 2004, and joined the EU on 1 January 2007. See Recent Political Developments for more information.
HUMAN RIGHTS
Bulgaria has ratified all the main human rights conventions, including The Hague Convention for the Protection of Children in early 2006. Throughout 2005 and early 2006, Bulgaria also improved its domestic human rights legislation, adopting a new Law on Protection against Domestic Violence and a new Health Act addressing the placement of the mentally ill in institutions.
Moreover, amendments to the Law on Child Protection passed in April 2006 established a legal basis for professional foster care and de-institutionalisation of children placed in social homes for the first time. The practical implementation of several other new laws has also gained momentum. Following the adoption of a Law on Protection against Discrimination, an anti-discrimination commission was established in 2005 and is now reviewing petitions from citizens. The Bulgarian courts have issued several first-instance decisions in favour of victims of ethnic discrimination, including a ruling against ethnic segregation of Roma children in a Bulgarian school. This decision was the first of its kind, not only for but for the whole of
Despite positive legal developments, however, the entry into parliament of an extreme nationalist party, Ataka (”Attack ”), led to incidences of racist rhetoric and discriminatory sentiments, largely against the Roma and ethnic Turkish minorities, during the 2005 parliamentary election campaign. Further work is needed if Roma are to be integrated in all aspects of economic and social life.
On the positive side – was one of the signatories to a regional initiative – the Decade of Roma Inclusion, and has already prepared a detailed action plan. In March 2006, the government also endorsed a national programme aimed at improving Roma living conditions with a budget of 630 million Leva for the period 2005 –15. However, tangible results have yet to be seen from either initiative. Access to healthcare services also remains inadequate. In the area of education, the government is increasingly successful in preventing young Roma pupils from dropping out but now needs to extend this to older pupils.
The new Law on Protection against Domestic Violence soon yielded results. NGOs in the field have noted an increased number of victims of violence seeking assistance and more cases coming to court. In
remains a country of transit and to, a lesser extent, a country of origin for people trafficking, although joint action by the Bulgarian police and their EU colleagues has helped dismantle a number of networks trafficking in women. The Bulgarian authorities have changed the law on Bulgarian identification documents so that children can no longer travel abroad unaccompanied, but implementation is still incomplete. The trafficking of pregnant women, mostly of Roma origin, to sell their newborn babies abroad is a growing problem. Child protection requires further efforts. Although the number of foreign adoptions is falling and the number of domestic adoptions rising, the number of institutionalised children remains high. A key reason for this is the lack of an integrated national system, which would enable parents from one region of the country to adopt children from another.
Sanitary and living conditions remain poor in a number of social homes for children. Some institutions for the mentally handicapped are also in a poor state. Overcrowding is an issue, and there are few opportunities for social integration. The Bulgarian government took several measures last year to try to improve integration, including providing supplementary social aid. Another positive step was the adoption of a new programme providing disabled people with private assistants whose salaries are paid by the state. The continues to assist on human rights issues through projects under the Global Opportunities Fund (GOF). The British Embassy also monitors these issues, including through contact with NGOs and the European Commission Delegation in
