page_title: History of Bulgaria since 1990
section_title: End of the Communist rule
hierarchical_section_title: History of Bulgaria since 1990 / End of the Communist rule
caption_attribution_description: For documentary purposes the German Federal Archive often retained the original image captions, which may be erroneous, biased, obsolete or politically extreme. Zentralbild Kollektiv 15.1.1963 VI. Parteitag der SED vom 15.-21.1.1963 in der Werner-Seelenbinder-Halle in Berlin (1.Tag). UBz: Im Präsidium (v.l.n.r.): das Mitglied des Politbüros des ZK der SED, Herbert Warnke und der Erste Sekretär des ZK der Bulgarischen Kommunistischen Partei, Todor Shiwkow. (Schaar)
context_page_description: The History of Bulgaria since 1990 is the period of Bulgarian history that begins after the fall of Communism and the transition to Capitalism.
context_section_description: The reforms towards liberalization, both social, political and economic in the Eastern Bloc started with Mikhail Gorbachev's reform program in the Soviet Union which was felt in Bulgaria in the late 1980s. In fact, the release of tightening started with the end of the Stalinist era and continued slowly to the point that many previously forbidden literary texts were translated, the same was relevant for Hollywood movies, etc., stores appeared with Western products that had elements of advertisement (advertisement of products was generally unknown and not used in the Eastern Bloc since everything was accessible and the same to all), these new features of the late communist years acknowledged the gradual breaking of the Iron Curtain for the Comecon people. This, together with the policies of Gorbachev, led to more freedom and expectations for democracy among people.
  In November 1989, demonstrations on ecological issues were staged in Sofia, and these soon broadened into a general campaign for political reform. That Communists generally did not break the demonstrations was a sign of a possible change that would come. In fact communist politicians reacted by eventually voting for the removal of Todor Zhivkov as a communist party and country head and replacing him with Petar Mladenov, but this gained them only a short respite in power. In February 1990 the Communist Party, forced by street protests gave up its claim on power and in June 1990 the first free elections since 1931 were held, won by the Bulgarian Socialist Party (the new name of the Communist Party). In July 1991 a new Constitution was adopted, which regulates a representative elected President and a Prime Minister and Cabinet.
caption: In 1989 Todor Zhivkov was removed from power after 35 years at the helm of the Communist Party.
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