OFFICES OF STATE
Terms of office
- President — Presidential term
From engineering to public administration
Rosen Plevneliev has an engineering background and professional experience in the private sector. Before becoming president he served as minister of regional development and public works. This route differed from those of presidents with backgrounds in academic history, philosophy or long-standing party leadership. His presidential term began in January 2012.
Political crises and two caretaker governments
Plevneliev appointed two caretaker governments: Marin Raykov’s in 2013 and Georgi Bliznashki’s in 2014. Both followed government crises and the need for early parliamentary elections. These episodes made the presidency’s role in institutional continuity especially visible, alongside its regular representative and foreign-policy functions.
The referendum on electronic voting
By a decree issued in August 2015, Plevneliev scheduled a national referendum for 25 October 2015. The question concerned the possibility of remote electronic voting in elections and referendums. The document establishes the institutional step of putting a question to voters. Holding the referendum should not be confused with automatically implementing an electronic voting system.
The public report and its perspective
At the end of his term, Plevneliev presented a report summarising his activities and his own assessment of the political crises. Such a document is a useful primary source for presidential priorities, but also a self-assessment. Comparing it with appointment decrees and other official acts helps distinguish verifiable actions from political conclusions.
The handover in 2017
In January 2017 Plevneliev handed office to Rumen Radev. His presidency remains associated with parliamentary instability and debate over citizens’ participation in elections. The institution also continued initiatives such as Bulgarian Christmas, demonstrating continuity beyond the political differences between individual heads of state.
Sources and documents
References accompany each section. Speeches and reports by political figures also reflect their own perspective.
- Presidency · biographies ↗www.president.bg
- Presidency · end-of-term report ↗www.president.bg
- Presidency · the 2014 caretaker government ↗m.president.bg
- State Gazette · Decree 163/2015 ↗dv.parliament.bg
- Presidency · Bulgarian Christmas ↗m.president.bg
Reference data last reviewed: . End dates in the timeline indicate the handover of office.
Portrait credit
Administration to the President of the Republic of Bulgaria · Original · CC BY-SA 3.0
