219-547: Several failed proposals were made during the 19th and 20th centuries to unify Bulgaria and Romania into a common state, under either a federation , a personal union or a confederation . Such ideas found support, especially in Bulgaria, and there were several opportunities to realize them. Proposals usually came from Bulgarians , but it was Romanians who were to hold the leading positions. These proposals ultimately failed because of cultural and political differences between
438-528: A United States of Europe . The same speech however contains remarks, less-often quoted, which make it clear that Churchill did not initially see Britain as being part of this United States of Europe: We British have our own Commonwealth of Nations ... And why should there not be a European group which could give a sense of enlarged patriotism and common citizenship to the distracted peoples of this turbulent and mighty continent and why should it not take its rightful place with other great groupings in shaping
657-587: A great peasant revolt that expelled the Mongols from Bulgaria and briefly made him emperor. He was overthrown in 1280 by the feudal landlords , whose factional conflicts caused the Second Bulgarian Empire to disintegrate into small feudal dominions by the 14th century. These fragmented rump states —two tsardoms at Vidin and Tarnovo and the Despotate of Dobrudzha —became easy prey for
876-583: A major uprising and succeeded in re-establishing the Bulgarian state. Ivan Asen and Peter laid the foundations of the Second Bulgarian Empire with its capital at Tarnovo . Kaloyan , the third of the Asen monarchs, extended his dominion to Belgrade and Ohrid . He acknowledged the spiritual supremacy of the pope and received a royal crown from a papal legate . The empire reached its zenith under Ivan Asen II (1218–1241), when its borders expanded as far as
1095-627: A "Flawed democracy". A 2018 survey by the Institute for Economics and Peace reported that less than 15% of respondents considered elections to be fair. Bulgaria has a civil law legal system. The judiciary is overseen by the Ministry of Justice. The Supreme Administrative Court and the Supreme Court of Cassation are the highest courts of appeal and oversee the application of laws in subordinate courts. The Supreme Judicial Council manages
1314-483: A "United States of Europe" in 1946 being a notable example. This period saw the formation of theories around European integration, categorizing into proto-integration, explaining integration, analyzing governance, and constructing the EU, reflecting a shift from viewing European integration as a unique process, to incorporating broader international relations and comparative politics theories. Citizens' organizations have played
1533-611: A 1929 speech by saying that "the United States of Europe will represent, even without Russia, a power strong enough to advance, up to a satisfactory point, the prosperity of the other continents as well". Between the two world wars , the Polish statesman Józef Piłsudski (1867–1935) envisaged the idea of a European federation that he called Międzymorze ("Intersea" or "Between-seas"), known in English as Intermarium , which
1752-588: A Bulgarian–Romanian personal union. Negotiations were held in 1886 to determine how a dual Bulgarian–Romanian state would function. It was agreed that the country would be under the rule of Carol I and that ethnic Romanians would occupy the key positions of its ministry of defense . According to the Romanian historian Alex Mihai Stoenescu , this was supported by Germany, the United Kingdom and even Austria-Hungary at some point, although France stayed on
1971-674: A Europe united along communist principles. Among liberal-democratic parties, the French centre-left undertook several initiatives to group like-minded parties from the European states. In 1927, the French mathematician and politician Émile Borel , a leader of the centre-left Radical Party and the founder of the Radical International, set up a French Committee for European Cooperation, and a further twenty countries set up equivalent committees. However, it remained an élite venture:
2190-484: A Greek captain and sentry by Bulgarian soldiers. The conflict was settled by the League of Nations , and resulted in a Bulgarian diplomatic victory. The League ordered a ceasefire, Greek troops to withdraw from Bulgaria and Greece to pay £45,000 to Bulgaria. The resulting political unrest led to the establishment of a royal authoritarian dictatorship by Tsar Boris III (1918–1943). Bulgaria entered World War II in 1941 as
2409-588: A Romanian government minister whose identity was never revealed allegedly stated that a union could jeopardize Romanian control over Northern Dobruja , a region with a significant Bulgarian ethnic minority . Following the Ottoman Sultan's rejection of a proposed Bulgarian–Turkish dual state after a new search for candidates to the throne in early 1887 started, the regents again turned towards Romania in February 1887. They first made another union proposal to
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#17327652699452628-633: A South Slavic or Balkan union, being against the proposals of a dual state with the Turks that existed at the time. Regarding Romania, Botev said that its governments "did not particularly love the Slavs" and that Romania was "a product of the Western policy, led by France , which wanted to put a barrier to Eastern Pan-Slavism ". Bulgarian unification projects aimed to solve the Bulgarian church [ bg ] and state questions. They were encouraged by
2847-613: A catalyst for Thracian unity, and the bulk of their tribes united under king Teres to form the Odrysian kingdom in the 470s BC. It was weakened and vassalised by Philip II of Macedon in 341 BC, attacked by Celts in the 3rd century, and finally became a province of the Roman Empire in AD 45. By the end of the 1st century AD, Roman governance was established over the entire Balkan Peninsula and Christianity began spreading in
3066-612: A certain Bulgarian revolutionary organization in Bucharest was supposed to organize this rebellion, to lead two other Bulgarian revolutionary organizations in Serbia and the Ottoman Empire and to support them until they had funds of their own. After the Ottoman Empire's defeat, independent states that would unite as one confederation were to be established in the lands of and adjacent to modern-day Bulgaria . However, this document
3285-411: A continuing deterioration of democratic governance after 2009, citing reduced media independence, stalled reforms, abuse of authority at the highest level and increased dependence of local administrations on the central government. Bulgaria is still listed as "Free" , with a political system designated as a semi-consolidated democracy, albeit with deteriorating scores. The Democracy Index defines it as
3504-605: A crisis as Russia accused Alexander of opposing it. This effectively divided Bulgaria between Russophobes (supporters of Alexander) and Russophiles (supporters of Russian policies). The crisis began on 9 August 1886, when Russophiles launched a coup that forced Alexander to abdicate, followed shortly after by another coup by Russophobes that restored him as monarch. Russia disapproved of these events, which made Alexander, who did not wish to rule facing Russian hostility, abdicate again on 25 August. Bulgaria, still controlled by Russophobes, had Stefan Stambolov taking power as
3723-601: A disastrous defeat in the Second Balkan War , Bulgaria again found itself fighting on the losing side as a result of its alliance with the Central Powers in World War I. Despite fielding more than a quarter of its population in a 1,200,000-strong army and achieving several decisive victories at Doiran and Monastir , the country capitulated in 1918. The war resulted in significant territorial losses and
3942-524: A federal Europe in his Ventotene Manifesto , and Paul Valéry envisioning European civilization for unity. State sovereignty was an issue for federalists who hoped political organizations at higher regional level would solve the issue. A representative scholar of functionalism was David Mitrany , who also saw states and their sovereignty as a core problem and believed that one should restrain states to prevent future wars. However, Mitrany disagreed with regional integration as he viewed it as mere replication of
4161-426: A kingdom, became a socialist federal republic in 1945. Negotiations began between Yugoslavia and Bulgaria in late 1944 and early 1945 to establish a South Slavic federation. Albania and Romania were sometimes seen as countries that could eventually be influenced and included into a larger Balkan communist federation. However, the negotiations failed because of disputes over the region of Macedonia and discrepancies in
4380-454: A larger and more powerful state with other ones. For example, in 1936, the Romanian historian Victor Papacostea [ ro ] proposed a confederation under Romanian leadership that he called " Balkania " designed to solve regional conflicts. However, the only advances on the topic of a union in the Balkans were made under communist rule. It is in this period when Yugoslavia, which was
4599-463: A meeting with Carol I (now King of Romania since 1881) and Alexander in May 1886, the latter suggested the creation of a Balkan confederation in which Carol I would be the head of state and commander-in-chief of the army. The reason for this was because of the negative reactions of Russia and other powers that followed the unification of Bulgaria and Eastern Rumelia in 1885, and the "liberation" of
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#17327652699454818-890: A member of NATO in 2004 and participated in the War in Afghanistan . After several years of reforms, it joined the European Union and the single market in 2007, despite EU concerns over government corruption. Bulgaria hosted the 2018 Presidency of the Council of the European Union at the National Palace of Culture in Sofia . Bulgaria is a middle-sized country situated in Southeastern Europe, in
5037-524: A member of the Axis but declined to participate in Operation Barbarossa and saved its Jewish population from deportation to concentration camps . The sudden death of Boris III in mid-1943 pushed the country into political turmoil as the war turned against Germany, and the communist guerrilla movement gained momentum. The government of Bogdan Filov subsequently failed to achieve peace with
5256-544: A narrow win for GERB, but the Bulgarian Socialist Party eventually formed a government led by Plamen Oresharski after Borisov failed to secure parliamentary support. The Oresharski government resigned in July 2014 amid continuing large-scale protests . The October 2014 elections resulted in a third GERB victory. Borisov formed a coalition with several right-wing parties, but resigned again after
5475-600: A new threat arriving from the Southeast: the Ottoman Turks . The Ottomans were employed as mercenaries by the Byzantines in the 1340s, but later became invaders in their own right. Sultan Murad I took Adrianople from the Byzantines in 1362; Sofia fell in 1382, followed by Shumen in 1388. The Ottomans completed their conquest of Bulgarian lands in 1393 when Tarnovo was sacked after a three-month siege and
5694-598: A pamphlet in Vienna (Austria-Hungary) extolling the candidate's high qualities and saying that Bibescu would do the same as his father did in Wallachia: remove the "legacy of the bad Turkish administration and the Phanariot Caimacams ". Pro-Bibescu propaganda said he was a descendant of boyars (nobles) from Veliko Tarnovo, the capital of the Second Bulgarian Empire. Bibescu had several opponents, such as
5913-444: A pattern of unstable governments. Boyko Borisov , the leader of the centre-right, pro-EU party GERB , served three terms as prime minister between 2009 and 2021. It won the 2009 general election and formed a minority government , which resigned in February 2013 after nationwide protests over the low living standards, corruption and the perceived failure of the democratic system. The subsequent snap elections in May resulted in
6132-434: A possible union. After the fall of the communist regimes in 1989, old and new disagreements emerged between Bulgaria and Romania. Nevertheless, the accession of both countries to the European Union in 2007 has strengthened their relations and cooperation between them. For example, in 2011, Bulgarian Prime Minister Boyko Borisov proposed buying jointly fighter aircraft with Romania, Turkey and Croatia . Nickolay Mladenov ,
6351-646: A potential solution to imperialism and nationalism in and over the Balkan countries and as an opportunity to begin a transition from capitalism to socialism in the region. Outside a socialist context, Balkan federal ideas had remained with some support for a few decades, but they lost much of it due to the outcome of the Balkan Wars and World War I, conflicts which divided the Balkans, including Bulgaria and Romania, into "winner" and "loser" countries. During them, Bulgaria and Romania had been in conflict in 1913, in
6570-661: A press conference during which he proposed a Balkan and Danubian confederation, including Bulgaria and Romania, which Poland and Czechoslovakia could later join. The leader of the Soviet Union, Joseph Stalin , called this statement harmful to Moscow. The newspaper Pravda criticized Dimitrov's words on 18 January and on 10 February. Later, a meeting was organized with Bulgarian, Soviet and Yugoslav representatives during which Dimitrov said, likely insincerely, that his statements were "harmful and wrong" and that he would not repeat them. The reason for this Soviet reaction
6789-406: A range of prestigious figures. Many eminent economists, aware that the economic race-to-the-bottom between states was creating ever-greater instability, supported the view: these included John Maynard Keynes . The French political scientist and economist Bertrand Jouvenel remembered a widespread mood after 1924 calling for a "harmonisation of national interests along the lines of European union, for
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7008-472: A relatively weak elected president and for a prime minister accountable to the legislature was adopted in July 1991. The new system initially failed to improve living standards or create economic growth—the average quality of life and economic performance remained lower than under communism well into the early 2000s. After 2001, economic, political and geopolitical conditions improved greatly, and Bulgaria achieved high Human Development status in 2003. It became
7227-604: A role in advocating further European integration, exemplified by the Union of European Federalists and the European Movement International . Various agreements and memberships demonstrate the web of relations and commitments between European countries, showing the multi-layered nature of integration. In antiquity, the Roman Empire brought about integration of multiple European and Mediterranean territories. The numerous subsequent claims of succession of
7446-470: A series of unsuccessful rebellions broke out, the largest being led by Peter Delyan . The empire's authority declined after a catastrophic military defeat at Manzikert against Seljuk invaders, and was further disturbed by the Crusades . This prevented Byzantine attempts at Hellenisation and created fertile ground for further revolt. In 1185, Asen dynasty nobles Ivan Asen I and Peter IV organised
7665-610: A state of disorder", and so, in the derivative, the "disturbers". Tribal groups in Inner Asia with phonologically close names were frequently described in similar terms, as the Buluoji , a component of the " Five Barbarian " groups, which during the 4th century were portrayed as both: a "mixed race" and "troublemakers". Neanderthal remains dating to around 150,000 years ago, or the Middle Paleolithic , are some of
7884-735: A state while the Romanians already had their own, the Bulgarians belonged to the Slavic group while the Romanians identified as Romance and the Bulgarians intended to establish themselves in the Balkans while the Romanians had interests in Central Europe. Furthermore, the Balkan countries' conflicting territorial ambitions hampered cooperation between them, which affected the Bulgarians and their national movement, considered as having developed too late in comparison to others. For example, in
8103-562: A total of 87,500 soldiers killed. More than 253,000 refugees from the lost territories immigrated to Bulgaria from 1912 to 1929, placing additional strain on the already ruined national economy. Between 19 October 1925 and 29 October 1925, the Incident at Petrich , nicknamed "the War of the Stray Dog" occurred, which was a minor armed conflict. Greece invaded Bulgaria, after the killing of
8322-596: A treaty signed in The Hague on 3 February 1958. A Benelux Parliament was created in 1955. The Belgium-Luxembourg Economic Union (BLEU) can be seen as a forerunner of the Benelux. BLEU was created by the treaty signed on 25 July 1921. It established a single market between both countries, while setting the Belgian franc and Luxembourgian franc at a fixed parity. Several regional organisations have been founded in
8541-536: A tripartite economic and diplomatic collaboration with Romania and Greece, good ties with China and Vietnam and a historical relationship with Russia . Bulgaria deployed significant numbers of both civilian and military advisors in Soviet-allied countries like Nicaragua and Libya during the Cold War . The first deployment of foreign troops on Bulgarian soil since World War II occurred in 2001, when
8760-505: A union were attempted decades later in the communist era, especially by Georgi Dimitrov , but the Soviet Union strongly rejected them. Joseph Stalin , its leader, deemed the proposal unthinkable. A Bulgarian–Romanian union was never established. The disapproval of several great powers, the differences in the Bulgarians' and the Romanians' national goals and the lack of actual interest or even opposition between these peoples, added to
8979-464: A union. During the meeting, Gheorghe Tătărescu , then Romania's Minister of Foreign Affairs, said "Nothing separates us anymore. We have no contrary interest and I see only one policy: of collaboration and understanding". Romania's diplomatic and political situation worsened after the abdication of its king, Michael I , on 30 December 1947, day in which the Romanian People's Republic
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9198-722: A year later. Russia's influence in the Balkan states further weakened after the Romanian political activist Zamfir Arbore published evidence for Russian espionage activity in Romania, which provoked outrage among other great powers. After all of these events, Russia, which saw the possibility of the Romanian monarch taking the Bulgarian throne as a violation of the Treaty of Berlin, threatened on 10 June 1887 to break diplomatic relations with Romania . Carol I contacted German and Austro-Hungarian representatives, who informed him that Russia would invade Bulgaria and Romania if he accepted
9417-406: Is Bulgarian or Romanian. The Turkish Ottoman Empire defeated this state in the late 14th century, and later extended its power over the Romanian principalities of Wallachia (in the 15th century) and Moldavia (in the 16th century). Unlike Bulgaria, these principalities were never directly incorporated as provinces but remained as vassal states . In the late 18th century,
9636-537: Is a parliamentary democracy where the prime minister is the head of government and the most powerful executive position. The political system has three branches—legislative, executive and judicial, with universal suffrage for citizens at least 18 years old. The Constitution also provides possibilities of direct democracy, namely petitions and national referendums . Elections are supervised by an independent Central Election Commission that includes members from all major political parties. Parties must register with
9855-593: Is a highly centralised state where the Council of Ministers directly appoints regional governors and all provinces and municipalities are heavily dependent on it for funding. Bulgaria became a member of the United Nations in 1955. Since 1966, it has been a non-permanent member of the Security Council three times, most recently from 2002 to 2003. It was also among the founding nations of
10074-542: Is a lobbying association that coordinates the efforts of associations and national councils with the goal of promoting European integration, and disseminating information about it. The European Federalist Party is a pro-European , pan-European and federalist political party which advocates further integration of the EU and the establishment of a Federal Europe. Its aim is to gather all Europeans to promote European federalism and to participate in all elections all over Europe. It has national sections in 15 countries. Volt Europa
10293-428: Is a pan-European and European federalist political movement that also serves as the pan-European structure for subsidiary parties in EU member states. It is present in 29 countries and participates in elections all over the EU on the local, national and European level. There are various agreements with overlapping membership. Several countries take part in a larger number of agreements than others. All member states of
10512-441: Is around 36% of the total land area, equivalent to 3,893,000 hectares (ha) of forest in 2020, up from 3,327,000 hectares (ha) in 1990. In 2020, naturally regenerating forest covered 3,116,000 hectares (ha) and planted forest covered 777,000 hectares (ha). Of the naturally regenerating forest 18% was reported to be primary forest (consisting of native tree species with no clearly visible indications of human activity) and around 18% of
10731-511: Is conserved in three national parks, 11 nature parks, 10 biosphere reserves and 565 protected areas. Ninety-three of the 233 mammal species of Europe are found in Bulgaria, along with 49% of butterfly and 30% of vascular plant species. Overall, 41,493 plant and animal species are present. Larger mammals with sizable populations include deer (106,323 individuals), wild boar (88,948), golden jackal (47,293) and red fox (32,326). Partridges number some 328,000 individuals, making them
10950-408: Is credited with inventing gold metallurgy . The associated Varna Necropolis treasure contains the oldest golden jewellery in the world with an approximate age of over 6,000 years. The treasure has been valuable for understanding social hierarchy and stratification in the earliest European societies. The Thracians , one of the three primary ancestral groups of modern Bulgarians , appeared on
11169-611: Is derived from the Bulgars , a tribe of Turkic origin that founded the First Bulgarian Empire. Their name is not completely understood and is difficult to trace it back earlier than the 4th century AD, but it is possibly derived from the Proto-Turkic word bulģha ("to mix", "shake", "stir") and its derivative bulgak ("revolt", "disorder"). The meaning may be further extended to "rebel", "incite" or "produce
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#173276526994511388-493: Is in the process of buying new US-built Stryker vehicles, new 155 mm self-propelled howitzers , new 3D early-warning radars , new surface-to-air missiles and more. Bulgaria has an open, high-income range market economy where the private sector accounts for more than 70% of GDP . From a largely agricultural country with a predominantly rural population in 1948, by the 1980s Bulgaria had transformed into an industrial economy, with scientific and technological research at
11607-539: Is subdivided into five climatic zones: continental zone (Danubian Plain, Pre-Balkan and the higher valleys of the Transitional geomorphological region); transitional zone (Upper Thracian Plain, most of the Struma and Mesta valleys, the lower Sub-Balkan valleys); continental-Mediterranean zone (the southernmost areas of the Struma and Mesta valleys, the eastern Rhodope Mountains, Sakar and Strandzha); Black Sea zone along
11826-542: Is the country's lowest point. Plains occupy about one third of the territory, while plateaux and hills occupy 41%. Most rivers are short and with low water levels. The longest river located solely in Bulgarian territory, the Iskar , has a length of 368 kilometres (229 mi). The Struma and the Maritsa are two major rivers in the south. Bulgaria has a varied and changeable climate, which results from being positioned at
12045-760: The Balkan Mountains , the Thracian Plain , and the Rila - Rhodope massif . The southern edge of the Danubian Plain slopes upward into the foothills of the Balkans, while the Danube defines the border with Romania. The Thracian Plain is roughly triangular, beginning southeast of Sofia and broadening as it reaches the Black Sea coast . The Balkan mountains run laterally through the middle of
12264-571: The Balkan Peninsula some time before the 12th century BC. The Thracians excelled in metallurgy and gave the Greeks the Orphean and Dionysian cults, but remained tribal and stateless. The Persian Achaemenid Empire conquered parts of present-day Bulgaria (in particular eastern Bulgaria) in the 6th century BC and retained control over the region until 479 BC . The invasion became
12483-526: The Battle of Nicopolis which brought about the fall of the Vidin Tsardom in 1396. Sozopol was the last Bulgarian settlement to fall, in 1453. The Bulgarian nobility was subsequently eliminated and the peasantry was enserfed to Ottoman masters, while much of the educated clergy fled to other countries. Bulgarians were subjected to heavy taxes (including Devshirme , or blood tax ), their culture
12702-706: The Comintern (1919), to the Labour and Socialist International (1921) to the Radical and Democratic Entente of centre-left progressive parties (1924), to the Green International of farmers' parties (1923), to the centre-right International Secretariat of Democratic Parties inspired by Christianity (1925). While the remit of these international bodies was global, the predominance of political parties from Europe meant that they facilitated interaction between
12921-427: The Danube river and west of the Black Sea . Bulgaria is bordered by Greece and Turkey to the south, Serbia and North Macedonia to the west, and Romania to the north. It covers a territory of 110,994 square kilometres (42,855 sq mi) and is the sixteenth-largest country in Europe. Sofia is the nation's capital and largest city ; other major cities include Burgas , Plovdiv , and Varna . One of
13140-462: The European Council approved the EU Strategy for the Baltic Sea Region (EUSBSR) following a communication from the European Commission . The EUSBSR was the first macro-regional strategy in Europe. The Strategy aims to reinforce cooperation within the Baltic Sea Region, to address challenges together, and to promote balanced development in the Region. The Strategy contributes to major EU policies, including Europe 2020 , and reinforces integration within
13359-439: The European Single Market and is largely based on services, followed by manufacturing and mining —and agriculture . The country has been influenced by its role as a transit country for natural gas and oil pipelines , as well as its strategic location on the Black Sea . Bulgaria's foreign relations have been shaped by its geographical location and its modern membership in the European Union and NATO . The name Bulgaria
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#173276526994513578-401: The European Union and its policies. The history of European integration is marked by the Roman Empire 's consolidation of European and Mediterranean territories, which set a precedent for the notion of a unified Europe. This idea was echoed through attempts at unity, such as the Holy Roman Empire , the Hanseatic League , and the Napoleonic Empire . The devastation of World War I reignited
13797-419: The Great Powers to take action. They convened the Constantinople Conference in 1876, but their decisions were rejected by the Ottomans. This allowed the Russian Empire to seek a military solution without risking confrontation with other Great Powers, as had happened in the Crimean War . In 1877, Russia declared war on the Ottomans and defeated them with the help of Bulgarian rebels , particularly during
14016-435: The New Order , the Greater Germanic Reich and Generalplan Ost - did not survive the war. At the end of World War II, the continental political climate favoured unity in democratic European countries, seen by many as an escape from the extreme forms of nationalism which had devastated the continent. In a speech delivered on 19 September 1946 at the University of Zürich in Switzerland, Winston Churchill postulated
14235-446: The Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) in 1975. Euro-Atlantic integration has been a priority since the fall of communism, although the communist leadership also had aspirations of leaving the Warsaw Pact and joining the European Communities by 1987. Bulgaria signed the European Union Treaty of Accession on 25 April 2005, and became a full member of the European Union on 1 January 2007. In addition, it has
14454-505: The Ottoman Empire , which defeated the Second Bulgarian Empire and conquered and ruled territories populated by Bulgarians and Romanians for centuries. During the late 18th century, a popular concept emerged in the Balkans : the federalization of the region, aimed at fighting nearby empires and solving conflicts between its peoples. The idea eventually spread in Bulgaria and Romania's predecessors ( Moldavia and Wallachia ), gaining some support by figures such as Georgi Sava Rakovski . After
14673-416: The Russo-Turkish War of 1877 and 1878 , Bulgaria was established as an autonomous principality under Ottoman control. Its emergence saw the federalist proposals with Romania replaced by the possibility of a personal union as Bulgaria looked for a prince. Some viewed Prince Carol I of Romania as the most suitable person for this. Carol I had gained prestige as commander-in-chief of the Romanian Army in
14892-400: The Slavic culture brought there a century earlier , which eventually gave rise to the modern Bulgarian people. The First Bulgarian Empire expanded its territory north of the Danube to the Tisza River and, during the 9th century, covered large parts of Romania 's present-day territories. There, the Bulgarians strongly enforced Slavic and Christian influences and cultural elements over
15111-425: The Slavs to enter the Balkan Peninsula as marauders, primarily through an area between the Danube River and the Balkan Mountains known as Moesia . Gradually, the interior of the peninsula became a country of the South Slavs , who lived under a democracy . The Slavs assimilated the partially Hellenised , Romanised , and Gothicised Thracians in the rural areas. Not long after the Slavic incursion, Moesia
15330-412: The Treaty of Küçük Kaynarca in 1774. The Western European Enlightenment in the 18th century influenced the initiation of a national awakening of Bulgaria . It restored national consciousness and provided an ideological basis for the liberation struggle, resulting in the April Uprising of 1876 . Up to 30,000 Bulgarians were killed as Ottoman authorities put down the rebellion. The massacres prompted
15549-437: The early Slavs . The Bulgars , led by Asparuh , attacked from the lands of Old Great Bulgaria and permanently invaded the Balkans in the late 7th century. They established the First Bulgarian Empire , victoriously recognised by treaty in 681 AD by the Byzantine Empire . It dominated most of the Balkans and significantly influenced Slavic cultures by developing the Cyrillic script . The First Bulgarian Empire lasted until
15768-529: The imperialist policies of the great powers , particularly those of the Habsburg and Ottoman empires, to ensure a more independent and stable development and to resolve the conflicts between the nations of the region. Proposals included uniting the Balkans alone ( Balkan Federation ) or with other neighboring nations ( Danubian Federation ), as well as the union of the Balkan Christians or only of
15987-417: The lignite -fired Maritsa Iztok-2 station, is causing the highest damage to health and the environment in the European Union. Pesticide use in agriculture and antiquated industrial sewage systems produce extensive soil and water pollution. Water quality began to improve in 1998 and has maintained a trend of moderate improvement. Over 75% of surface rivers meet European standards for good quality. Bulgaria
16206-441: The regents ' leader. Between August 1886 and June 1887, a new search for a prince who could rule Bulgaria began. This made a personal union between Bulgaria and Romania possible again. Around 20 candidates were discussed, including the neighboring monarchs of Romania, Serbia and the Ottoman Empire, as well as Montenegro. Russia and Austria-Hungary disapproved of all of these candidates, fearing that their interests could be affected by
16425-401: The revolutions of 1989 and allowed multiparty elections. Bulgaria then transitioned into a democracy . Since adopting a democratic constitution in 1991, Bulgaria has been a unitary parliamentary republic composed of 28 provinces, with a high degree of political, administrative, and economic centralisation . Bulgaria has a high-income economy with a market economy that is part of
16644-437: The 1930s and unable to put their ideas into practice, many would find themselves in power in the 1940s and 1950s, and better-placed to put into effect their earlier remedies against economic and political crisis. During World War II (1939–1945) Nazi Germany came to dominate - directly or indirectly - much of Europe at various times. The plans for German-oriented political, social, and economic integration of Europe - such as
16863-419: The 1960s. Intergovernmentalism and later, Liberal Intergovernmentalism , developed in the 1980s by Andrew Moravcsik focus on governmental actors' impacts that are enhanced by supranational institutions but not restrained from them. The important debate between neofunctionalism and (liberal) intergovernmentalism still remains central in understanding the development and setbacks of the European integration. As
17082-431: The 1980s, although severe debt spikes took place in 1960, 1977 and 1980. Zhivkov's daughter Lyudmila bolstered national pride by promoting Bulgarian heritage, culture and arts worldwide. Facing declining birth rates among the ethnic Bulgarian majority, Zhivkov's government in 1984 forced the minority ethnic Turks to adopt Slavic names in an attempt to erase their identity and assimilate them. These policies resulted in
17301-652: The Allies. Bulgaria did not comply with Soviet demands to expel German forces from its territory, resulting in a declaration of war and an invasion by the USSR in September 1944. The communist-dominated Fatherland Front took power, ended participation in the Axis and joined the Allied side until the war ended. Bulgaria suffered little war damage and the Soviet Union demanded no reparations. But all wartime territorial gains, with
17520-553: The Balkans as well as the Latin Monetary Union . Following the catastrophe of the First World War of 1914–1918, thinkers and visionaries from a range of political traditions again began to float the idea of a politically unified Europe. In the early 1920s a range of international organisations were founded (or re-founded) to help like-minded political parties to coordinate their activities. These ranged from
17739-485: The Balkans during this epoch, this view is regarded as questionable by some historians. The regents turned to the British diplomat in Bulgaria, Frank Lascelles , since the United Kingdom vehemently defended the country's anti-Russian policies. He recommended them to abandon the idea since Carol I, being king of an independent country, would not accept the vassal status the title of Prince of Bulgaria still had towards
17958-707: The Balkans to liberate themselves from the Ottoman Empire. The uncooperative nationalist attitude of the Greek and Serbian ruling elites disappointed him, and thus, he went to Bucharest in late 1863. After seeing the resistance to control by the Greek Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople (for which measures such as the proclamation of independence of the Romanian Orthodox Church and the establishment of its Holy Synod [ ro ] were taken) and for independence from
18177-571: The Baltic Sea States (CBSS) was founded in 1992 to promote intergovernmental cooperation among Baltic Sea countries in questions concerning economy, civil society development, human rights issues, and nuclear and radiation safety. It has 12 members including Denmark , Estonia , Finland , Germany , Iceland (since 1995), Latvia , Lithuania , Norway , Poland , Russia , Sweden and the European Commission . In 2009
18396-549: The Bulgarian Minister of Foreign Affairs, went a step further by proposing to unify Bulgaria's air and naval forces with those of Romania. Many politicians and military experts have made similar suggestions because doing so would make maintenance of aircraft and pilot training cheaper. The efforts to effect European integration in the Balkans have provoked comments on a possible federation once again. The European Union and its democratic values impose common visions for
18615-636: The Bulgarian Prime Minister Georgi Dimitrov , who now ruled over a formal people's republic after a falsified September 1946 referendum , said Romania could join a possible future Balkan federation. This statement provoked the revocation of the initial permission given for Zaharia to publish the interview in the newspaper Scînteia since it angered Gheorghe Gheorghiu-Dej , leader of the Romanian Communist Party (PCR). The reason for this reaction
18834-480: The Bulgarian crown at some point. Therefore, Carol I, despite his interest in a union with Bulgaria, informed Russia on 15 June that he would not accept a Bulgarian–Romanian state without Russian consent, thus ending the union project. In the end, Ferdinand of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha , who came from a German-speaking dynasty related to most European ruling houses at the time, was elected Prince of Bulgaria as Ferdinand I on 25 June 1887. This did not end
19053-564: The Bulgarian crown; and in 1947 and 1948, when Romania rejected any federative proposal with any other country to avoid Soviet disapproval and the Bulgarian leader was recriminated for his federative ideas. This fierce opposition, especially from Russia (or the Soviet Union), was probably because of a fear of a strong and influential state that could compete against the great powers, following the " divide and rule " principle. Even without external influence, some Bulgarians and Romanians opposed
19272-533: The Bulgarian side, including Svetoslav Milarov [ bg ] , who published the newspaper Balgarskiy lev in Veliko Tarnovo (Bulgaria); and Hristo Bachvarov and Dimitar Krastev Popov [ bg ] , authors of the newspaper Balgarin published in Giurgiu (Romania). Both newspapers expressed support for Bibescu to be the new prince of Bulgaria. In fact, the editors of Balgarin published
19491-581: The Bulgarians and the Vlachs") by Pope Innocent II . Additionally, Moesia , the region where the rebellion began, had a high Vlach population at the time of the revolt. Over time, just like the Turkic Bulgars in the first empire, the Vlachs lost their relevance in governance. Supporters of a Bulgarian–Romanian union looked back to the Second Bulgarian Empire as a common ground between the two, and historians now debate whether its historical heritage
19710-627: The Danish autonomous territories of Faroe Islands since 1 January 1966. The following political and/or economic organisations have been in the Baltic region in the post-modern era : The Baltic Assembly aims to promote co-operation between the parliaments of the Baltic states , namely the Republics of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania. The organisation was planned in Vilnius on 1 December 1990, and
19929-604: The EU is and how it operates. For example, new theory multi-level governance (MLG) was developed to understand the workings and development of the EU. The third phase of integration theory marked a return of International Relations theory with the rise of critical and constructivist approaches in the 1990s. Perspectives from social constructivists, post-structuralists, critical theories, feminist theories are incorporated in integration theories to conceptualize European integration process of widening and deepening. Various federalist organisations have been created over time supporting
20148-472: The Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople. It is unclear what Rakovski's exact plans were, but historians have said he supported a "Bulgarian–Vlach dualism" model for unifying the Bulgarians and the Romanians. Dualism refers to a real union between two states, the most famous dual state being Austria-Hungary. Rakovski developed good relations with the Romanian prince, Alexandru Ioan Cuza, but
20367-640: The European Union (EU) are members of the: have organizations that are members of the: have organisations that are members, associated partners or observers of the are located in the European Broadcasting Area (EBA) 21 states are part of the Eurozone or in ERM II without Euro opt-out. These are Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Ireland, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta,
20586-683: The Interior also heads the Border Police Service and the National Gendarmerie —a specialised branch for anti-terrorist activity, crisis management and riot control. Counterintelligence and national security are the responsibility of the State Agency for National Security. Bulgaria is a unitary state . Since the 1880s, the number of territorial management units has varied from seven to 26. Between 1987 and 1999,
20805-483: The League's request, Briand presented a Memorandum on the organisation of a system of European Federal Union . The next year the future French prime minister Édouard Herriot published his book The United States of Europe . Indeed, a template for such a system already existed, in the form of the 1921 Belgian and Luxembourgish customs and monetary union. Support for the proposals by the French centre-left came from
21024-544: The Netherlands, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia and Spain. They are all members of or take part in: [REDACTED] Some agreements that are mostly related to countries of the European continent, are also valid in territories outside the continent. Not listed below are agreements if their scope is beyond geographic Europe only because the agreement includes: List: Several regional integration efforts have effectively promoted intergovernmental cooperation and reduced
21243-521: The Ottoman Empire until 1908, when Bulgaria gained its independence. Stambolov began a new series of negotiations in October 1886 for a Bulgarian–Romanian confederation, this time with a single government; these extended into May 1887. Meanwhile, Russian actions in the two countries continued. On 4 September, there was an unsuccessful assassination attempt against Brătianu. It is thought that Russia could have been involved, since it happened shortly after
21462-480: The Ottoman Empire. Romanians consider the brief union of the principalities of Wallachia, Moldavia and Transylvania of 1600 under Michael the Brave the first Romanian national union. Romania itself was the product of a personal union, that of Wallachia and Moldavia between 1859 and 1862 under Prince Alexandru Ioan Cuza . This state was initially known as the "United Principalities of Moldavia and Wallachia", but it
21681-456: The Ottoman and Austro-Hungarian territories. It would be a federation modelled after the United States and Switzerland . Another Bulgarian with a proposal was the revolutionary Vasil Levski . He wanted a "Balkan Democratic Republic" composed of Bulgarians, Montenegrins , Romanians and Serbs, all of whom were to be equal to each other. The Bulgarian journalist and poet Hristo Botev supported
21900-565: The Ottomans that was taking place in the Romanian United Principalities , he began to see the country as a favorable option for the liberation of the Bulgarians. In 1864, in the bilingual newspaper Badushtnost ( Viitorulŭ in Romanian from that epoch), Rakovski talked about the relations between Bulgarians and Romanians, emphasizing they had always been full of "brotherly love and union" and that cooperation between
22119-756: The Region. Since the end of the First World War the following unions have been set in the Low Countries region: The Benelux is an economic and political union between Belgium, the Netherlands, and Luxembourg. On 5 September 1944, a treaty establishing the Benelux Customs Union was signed. It entered into force in 1948, and ceased to exist on 1 November 1960, when it was replaced by the Benelux Economic Union after
22338-777: The Roman Empire , even the iterations of the Classical Empire and its ancient peoples, have occasionally been reinterpreted in the light of post-1950 European integration as providing inspiration and historical precedents. Important examples include the Holy Roman Empire , the Hanseatic League , the Peace of Westphalia , the Napoleonic Empire , and the unification of Germany , Italy , and
22557-591: The Romanian consul in Ruse and, on 27 February, Stambolov went to the Romanian embassy in Sofia and said he wanted to see Carol I as ruler of Bulgaria. However, Stambolov never made an official request as he thought the King of Romania would reject it for fear of offending the Triple Alliance . This was a secret alliance between Germany, Austria-Hungary and Italy , formed in 1882, which Romania had joined
22776-500: The Romanian lawyer and journalist Petre Pandrea . Pandrea, a relative of the communist activist Lucrețiu Pătrășcanu , felt Romania should advocate for neutrality, with Switzerland being the example to follow and thus supporting the concept of "Helvetization". Dimitrov supported the application of his ideas to all of the Balkans and later spoke the German-language phrase Dreimal Schweiz! ("three times Switzerland!"). Pandrea
22995-414: The Romanians focused on Central Europe. Furthermore, these projects were launched in an attempt to be liberated and independent and not because of any real interest in each other, and the model of a nation state and territorial claims over other countries, which were not unusual in the region, made a possible acceptance of a union proposal more difficult. Another important reason was the strong opposition from
23214-616: The Romanians' ancestors. This state was nevertheless defeated by the Byzantine Empire and incorporated into its dominions in 1018. In the 12th century, an attempt to restore the empire, the Uprising of Asen and Peter , ended in the establishment of the Second Bulgarian Empire . Numerous Vlachs (Romanians) participated in this rebellion, especially in its initial phase. They played a decisive role during
23433-459: The Romanian–Russian dispute over Southern Bessarabia . This contradicts notes published by Ignatyev himself, which say that Carol I wanted to be elected in Bulgaria and that Prime Minister Ion C. Brătianu supported him in this. Ignatyev said the Romanians' intention was "to establish a personal union between Bulgaria and Romania in order to use the former to their own advantage". Before
23652-464: The Russian Empire, the Western powers and other movements (such as anti-Russian Polish nationalist emigrants like Michał Czajkowski ). Because of shared opposition to the Ottoman Empire, the Bulgarians and Romanians considered the option of unification several times between the 1860s and 1870s. Still, their overall interests and goals were different. For example, the Bulgarians aimed to obtain
23871-567: The Russian opposition to a Bulgarian–Romanian union once again. In the end, any attempt at a federation involving Bulgaria and Romania died out. Soviet influence over Romania increased significantly in late 1947 and early 1948, and the Tito–Stalin split later in 1948 forced Bulgaria and Yugoslavia to renounce a potential South Slavic federation. Over time, the idea of federalizing the Balkans faded. The Balkan Wars and World War I overshadowed
24090-438: The Russian side. Stoenescu thought this powerful Bulgarian–Romanian state, with control of the western Black Sea , could act as a buffer state , which, added to some other factors, could have even prevented World War I . The regents hoped a union between Bulgaria and Romania would solve the crisis and be the first step towards a strongly anti-Russian wider Balkan confederation. Due to the great presence nationalism had in
24309-580: The Soviet Union had during the interwar period and to the important Romanian contribution to the Nazi German invasion of the Soviet Union between 1941 and 1944. In comparison, during the war, Bulgaria had kept its army in the Balkans, avoiding any participation in the Eastern Front and limiting itself to collaborative operations on Axis-occupied lands in the Balkans. From the Soviet perspective,
24528-578: The United States and Bulgarian militaries. Despite its active international defence collaborations, Bulgaria ranks as among the most peaceful countries globally, tying 6th alongside Iceland regarding domestic and international conflicts, and 26th on average in the Global Peace Index . Following the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine , Bulgaria decided to assist Ukraine; in 2023, after Gazprom illegally stopped exporting gas to Bulgaria,
24747-480: The adherents of a given ideology across European borders. Within each political tradition, voices emerged advocating not merely the cooperation of various national parties, but the pursuit of political institutions at the European level. One of the first to articulate this view was Richard von Coudenhove-Kalergi , who outlined a conservative vision of European unity in his Pan-Europa manifesto (1923). The First Paneuropean Congress took place in Vienna in 1926, and
24966-517: The administrative structure consisted of nine provinces ( oblasti , singular oblast ). A new administrative structure was adopted in parallel with the decentralisation of the economic system. It includes 27 provinces and a metropolitan capital province ( Sofia City ). All areas take their names from their respective capital cities. The provinces are subdivided into 265 municipalities . Municipalities are run by mayors, who are elected to four-year terms, and by directly elected municipal councils. Bulgaria
25185-445: The association possessed 8000 members by the time of the 1929 Wall Street Crash . They envisaged a specifically Christian, and by implication Catholic, Europe. The British civil-servant and future Conservative minister Arthur Salter published a book advocating The United States of Europe in 1933. In contrast the Soviet commissar (minister) Leon Trotsky raised the slogan "For a Soviet United States of Europe" in 1923, advocating
25404-611: The authority to return a bill for further debate, although the parliament can override the presidential veto by a simple majority vote. Political parties gather in the National Assembly , a body of 240 deputies elected to four-year terms by direct popular vote. The National Assembly has the power to enact laws, approve the budget, schedule presidential elections, select and dismiss the prime minister and other ministers, declare war, deploy troops abroad, and ratify international treaties and agreements. Overall, Bulgaria displays
25623-577: The battle, and by 1018 the Byzantines had conquered the First Bulgarian Empire . After the conquest, Basil II prevented revolts by retaining the rule of local nobility, integrating them in Byzantine bureaucracy and aristocracy , and relieving their lands of the obligation to pay taxes in gold, allowing tax in kind instead. The Bulgarian Patriarchate was reduced to an archbishopric , but retained its autocephalous status and its dioceses . Byzantine domestic policies changed after Basil's death and
25842-607: The beginning of the communist period of their history. Bulgaria was officially a socialist state between 1946 and 1990, while Romania was officially one between 1947 and 1989. Since their appearance in the late 19th century, Balkan socialists had been particularly interested in the concept of a Balkan federation. Notable figures that supported this included several Bulgarian ( Dimitar Blagoev , Christian Rakovsky , Yanko Sakazov ) and Romanian ( Constantin Dobrogeanu-Gherea ) socialist leaders. Socialists saw unification as
26061-417: The brief Second Balkan War in which Romania joined against Bulgaria and took Southern Dobruja ; and between 1916 and 1918, when they fought on opposite sides during World War I, although there were no territorial changes between them this time. These conflicts rendered any union proposal with the participation of both Bulgaria and Romania nearly impossible for years, with socialists remaining as some of
26280-507: The candidate backed by his party failed to win the 2016 Presidential election . The March 2017 snap election was again won by GERB, but with 95 seats in Parliament. They formed a coalition with the far-right United Patriots , who held 27 seats. Borisov's last cabinet saw a dramatic decrease in freedom of the press, and a number of corruption revelations that triggered yet another wave of mass protests in 2020 . GERB came out first in
26499-457: The coast of Albania , Serbia and Epirus , while commerce and culture flourished. Ivan Asen's rule was also marked by a shift away from Rome in religious matters. The Asen dynasty became extinct in 1257. Internal conflicts and incessant Byzantine and Hungarian attacks followed, enabling the Mongols to establish suzerainty over the weakened Bulgarian state. In 1277, swineherd Ivaylo led
26718-469: The coastline with an average length of 30–40 km inland; and alpine zone in the mountains above 1000 m altitude (central Balkan Mountains, Rila, Pirin, Vitosha, western Rhodope Mountains, etc.). The interaction of climatic, hydrological, geological and topographical conditions has produced a relatively wide variety of plant and animal species. Bulgaria's biodiversity , one of the richest in Europe,
26937-403: The commission prior to participating in a national election. Normally, the prime minister-elect is the leader of the party receiving the most votes in parliamentary elections, although this is not always the case. Unlike the prime minister, presidential domestic power is more limited. The directly elected president serves as head of state and commander-in-chief of the armed forces, and has
27156-407: The concept of a unified Europe, leading to the establishment of international organizations aimed at political coordination across Europe. The interwar period saw politicians such as Richard von Coudenhove-Kalergi and Aristide Briand advocating for European unity, albeit with differing visions. Post-World War II Europe saw a significant push towards integration, with Winston Churchill 's call for
27375-419: The country from west to east. The mountainous southwest has two distinct alpine type ranges— Rila and Pirin , which border the lower but more extensive Rhodope Mountains to the east, and various medium altitude mountains to west, northwest and south, like Vitosha , Osogovo and Belasitsa . Musala , at 2,925 metres (9,596 ft), is the highest point in both Bulgaria and the Balkans. The Black Sea coast
27594-781: The country hosted six KC-135 Stratotanker aircraft and 200 support personnel for the war effort in Afghanistan. International military relations were further expanded with accession to NATO in March 2004 and the US-Bulgarian Defence Cooperation Agreement signed in April 2006. Bezmer and Graf Ignatievo air bases, the Novo Selo training range, and a logistics centre in Aytos subsequently became joint military training facilities cooperatively used by
27813-457: The country in turn stopped importing Russian oil and gas. The Bulgarian Armed Forces are the military of Bulgaria and are composed of land forces , navy and an air force . The Armed Forces have 36,950 active troops, supplemented by 3,000 reservists . The land forces consist of two mechanised brigades and eight independent regiments and battalions ; the air force operates 106 aircraft and air defence systems across six air bases, and
28032-407: The coup to enter the country. In late 1886, Carol I recommended that Bulgaria reconcile with Russia and choose a Bulgarian native as prince. According to Radev, Carol I was careful about his movements towards Bulgaria so as not to become a direct opponent of Russia. There was a chance the Romanians would oppose a union because of fear of Bulgarian influence on Romanian politics . Furthermore,
28251-420: The creation of the new empire, with its first leaders, the brothers Ivan Asen I , Kaloyan and Peter II , described as Vlachs by contemporaneous sources . Kaloyan was given the title imperator Caloihannes dominus omnium Bulgarorum atque Blachorum ("Emperor Kaloyan, Lord of All Bulgarians and Vlachs") by Patriarch Basil I of Bulgaria and the title Rex Bulgarorum et Blachorum ("King of
28470-547: The crucial Battle of Shipka Pass which secured Russian control over the main road to Constantinople . The Treaty of San Stefano was signed on 3 March 1878 by Russia and the Ottoman Empire . It was to set up an autonomous Bulgarian principality spanning Moesia , Macedonia and Thrace , roughly on the territories of the Second Bulgarian Empire , and this day is now a public holiday called National Liberation Day . The other Great Powers immediately rejected
28689-504: The destinies of men? ... France and Germany must take the lead together. Great Britain, the British Commonwealth of Nations, mighty America[,] and I trust Soviet Russia—for then indeed all would be well—must be the friends and sponsors of the new Europe and must champion its right to live and shine. We must build a kind of United States of Europe. In this way only, will hundreds of millions of toilers be able to regain
28908-433: The development of its various societies, which could also include a future federation proposal on the region according to Nyagulov. The following is a comparison between modern-day Bulgaria and Romania, based on recent years rather than the 19th and 20th centuries for convenience and data accessibility. Demographic data has been taken from each country's 2011 census, while economic, geographic and military data originates from
29127-530: The earliest societies in the lands of modern-day Bulgaria was the Karanovo culture (6,500 BC). In the 6th to 3rd century BC, the region was a battleground for ancient Thracians , Persians , Celts and Macedonians ; stability came when the Roman Empire conquered the region in AD 45. After the Roman state splintered, tribal invasions in the region resumed. Around the 6th century, these territories were settled by
29346-420: The earliest traces of human activity in the lands of modern Bulgaria. Remains from Homo sapiens found there are dated c. 47,000 years BP . This result represents the earliest arrival of modern humans in Europe. The Karanovo culture arose c. 6,500 BC and was one of several Neolithic societies in the region that thrived on agriculture . The Copper Age Varna culture (fifth millennium BC)
29565-413: The early 11th century, when Byzantine emperor Basil II conquered and dismantled it. A successful Bulgarian revolt in 1185 established a Second Bulgarian Empire , which reached its apex under Ivan Asen II (1218–1241). After numerous exhausting wars and feudal strife, the empire disintegrated and in 1396 fell under Ottoman rule for nearly five centuries. The Russo-Turkish War of 1877–78 resulted in
29784-461: The early 2000s reduced government debt from 79.6% in 1998 to 14.1% in 2008. It has since increased to 22.6% of GDP by 2022, but remains the second lowest in the EU. The Yugozapaden planning area is the most developed region with a per capita gross domestic product ( PPP ) of $ 29,816 in 2018. It includes the capital city and the surrounding Sofia Province , which alone generate 42% of national gross domestic product despite hosting only 22% of
30003-479: The east of the Balkans. Its territory covers an area of 110,994 square kilometres (42,855 sq mi), while land borders with its five neighbouring countries run a total length of 1,808 kilometres (1,123 mi), and its coastline is 354 kilometres (220 mi) long. Bulgaria's geographic coordinates are 43° N 25° E . The most notable topographical features of the country are the Danubian Plain ,
30222-568: The election of the first Bulgarian prince began, Carol I was among the proposed nominees. The primary intention of his supporters was to establish a dual Bulgarian–Romanian state. According to the Bulgarian historian Simeon Radev , the United Kingdom supported this idea to counter Russian influence in the region. The Bulgarian politician Marko Balabanov said that in April 1879, the Englishman William Palgrave
30441-629: The election to the Bulgarian throne, and a German prince, Alexander of Battenberg , was elected on 17 April 1879 and approved by the great powers and the Ottoman Sultan . Later, it was proposed that Carol I adopt Alexander to unite the two countries, but the German Empire and Austria-Hungary rejected the idea. During Alexander's reign, relations between Bulgaria and Romania remained good, reinforced by their opposition to Russian influence. According to Brătianu, who had been in
30660-617: The emigration of some 300,000 ethnic Turks to Turkey. The Communist Party was forced to give up its political monopoly on 10 November 1989 under the influence of the Revolutions of 1989 . Zhivkov resigned and Bulgaria embarked on a transition to a parliamentary democracy . The first free elections in June 1990 were won by the Communist Party, now rebranded as the Bulgarian Socialist Party . A new constitution that provided for
30879-472: The empirical world has changed, so have the theories and thus the understanding of European Integration. The second generation of integration theorists focused on the importance of institutions and their impacts on both integration process and European governance development. The second phase brought in perspectives from comparative politics in addition to traditional International Relations theoretical references. Studies attempted to understand what kind of polity
31098-443: The environment, tourism and energy receive the least funding. Taxes form the bulk of government revenue at 30% of GDP. Bulgaria has some of the lowest corporate income tax rates in the EU at a flat 10% rate. The tax system is two-tier. Value added tax , excise duties , corporate and personal income tax are national, whereas real estate, inheritance, and vehicle taxes are levied by local authorities. Strong economic performance in
31317-514: The establishment of a large state in the region. The press, politicians and citizens of Bulgaria received the Bulgarian–Romanian union initiative with enthusiasm. It was seen as an opportunity to break Russia's influence in the Balkans decisively. Still, Carol I was not among the leading candidates, although he was more popular than the sovereigns of Bulgaria's other neighbors. The regency, and especially Stambolov, supported initiatives for
31536-423: The establishment of an autonomous Bulgarian principality and the full independence of Romania in 1878, relations between the countries were enhanced and there were several Romanian nominees for the Bulgarian throne. These were King Carol I of Romania and the nobleman George Bibescu, son of a former Wallachian prince. They were not taken into account in the final selection, and the eventual choice in 1879
31755-730: The few people who continued to support similar ideas. Relations in the Balkans nevertheless began to improve after the war due to several events (such as the signing of the Kellogg–Briand Pact or the Great Depression ), and, during the 1930s, conferences and the creation of the Balkan Entente in 1934 between Romania, Yugoslavia , Greece and Turkey reactivated the federation idea in the Balkans. Some non-socialist intellectuals and politicians, specially left-wing ones, continued to want Bulgarians and Romanians to establish
31974-541: The first half of the 20th century. The Bulgarian principality won a war against Serbia and incorporated the semi-autonomous Ottoman territory of Eastern Rumelia in 1885, proclaiming itself an independent state on 5 October 1908. In the years following independence, Bulgaria increasingly militarised and was often referred to as "the Balkan Prussia ". It became involved in three consecutive conflicts between 1912 and 1918—two Balkan Wars and World War I . After
32193-547: The forest area was found within protected areas. For the year 2015, 88% of the forest area was reported to be under public ownership and 12% private ownership . In 1998, the Bulgarian government adopted the National Biological Diversity Conservation Strategy, a comprehensive programme seeking the preservation of local ecosystems, protection of endangered species and conservation of genetic resources. Bulgaria has some of
32412-552: The formation of the third and current Bulgarian state, which declared independence from the Ottoman Empire in 1908. Many ethnic Bulgarians were left outside the new nation's borders, which stoked irredentist sentiments that led to several conflicts with its neighbours and alliances with Germany in both world wars. In 1946, Bulgaria came under the Soviet-led Eastern Bloc and became a socialist state . The ruling Communist Party gave up its monopoly on power after
32631-410: The former was loyal to the Soviet Union while the latter sought greater autonomy from it. According to Nyagulov, there are several reasons a Bulgarian–Romanian union failed to materialize. Unionist proposals always came from the Bulgarian side, since Romania would give Bulgaria certain political advantages. However, their national priorities were not the same. The Bulgarians focused on the Balkans, while
32850-529: The foundation of the First Bulgarian Empire . The minority Bulgars formed a close-knit ruling caste. Succeeding rulers strengthened the Bulgarian state throughout the 8th and 9th centuries. Krum introduced a written code of law and checked a major Byzantine incursion at the Battle of Pliska , in which Byzantine emperor Nicephorus I was killed. Boris I abolished paganism in favour of Eastern Orthodox Christianity in 864. The conversion
33069-409: The great powers to a Bulgarian–Romanian union that occurred on several occasions, such as in 1878 and 1879, when Austria-Hungary and Russia objected to the nomination of Romanian candidates for the Bulgarian throne; in 1886 and 1887, when the same countries opposed the election of a monarch from Bulgaria's neighbors and Russia threatened to invade Bulgaria and Romania if the Romanian monarch tried to take
33288-457: The head of such a state with either two separate governments or a single, united one. Though Carol I had an interest in becoming ruler of Bulgaria, Russia strongly opposed this. Russia threatened to break off diplomatic relations with Romania and to invade both Romania and Bulgaria, forcing Carol I to abandon the possibility. Afterwards, Ferdinand of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha was elected Prince of Bulgaria in June 1887. New approaches to effect
33507-479: The highest is 45.2 °C (113.4 °F). Precipitation averages about 630 millimetres (24.8 in) per year, and varies from 500 millimetres (19.7 in) in Dobrudja to more than 2,500 millimetres (98.4 in) in the mountains. Continental air masses bring significant amounts of snowfall during winter. Considering its relatively small area, Bulgaria has variable and complex climate. The country occupies
33726-458: The horizon of the Balkans, which has led to an idea within the academic world that a new federation proposal could emerge in the region as a result of all of this. The Bulgarians and Romanians lived under a common state on several occasions. In 680 AD, the Bulgars , a Turkic people from the Pontic–Caspian steppes , crossed the Danube and posteriorly established a state in the area, with its capital at Pliska . They assimilated with
33945-509: The hostile environment of the region in which they lived, prevented it. The idea of the federalization of the Balkans, which had great support in its time, diminished across the region after the conflicts at the beginning of the 20th century that occurred throughout Europe and, later, the violent breakup of Yugoslavia . Despite all this, the European Union , of which Bulgaria and Romania have been members since 2007, puts democratic values and pluralistic visions for European integration on
34164-497: The idea of a federal Europe. These include the Union of European Federalists , the Young European Federalists , the European Movement International , the European Federalist Party , and Volt Europa . The Union of European Federalists (UEF) is a European non-governmental organisation, campaigning for a Federal Europe. It consists of 20 constituent organisations and it has been active at the European, national and local levels for more than 50 years. The European Movement International
34383-506: The idea of federation also arose between Bulgaria and Romania. Although both countries shared Orthodox Christianity , strong economic and cultural ties and a desire for independence from the Ottomans, nationalism and the intervention of external powers poisoned the friendship between them. Shortly before World War II, they were filled with ethnic and territorial hostilities. During the communist era, although their relations improved, Bulgaria and Romania followed different foreign policies, as
34602-450: The idea of unifying the Balkans under one federation appeared and gained strength. It was promoted as politically necessary, especially after wars and revolutions. One of the earliest proposals came during the 1790s from Rigas Feraios , a Greek with Aromanian origins, who conceived of the establishment of a Greek-ruled united Balkan state that would succeed the Ottoman Empire. The Balkan peoples saw unification as an opportunity to oppose
34821-413: The information available on 30 March 2021 on CIA 's reference resource The World Factbook . Bulgaria – in Europe (green & dark grey) – in the European Union (green) – [ Legend ] Bulgaria , officially the Republic of Bulgaria , is a country in Southeast Europe . It is situated on the eastern portion of the Balkans directly south of
35040-484: The integration of Romania into a larger Balkan state or the federalization of the Austrian or Austro-Hungarian empires in order to pass down power to the Transylvanian Romanians. Members of the Bulgarian liberation movement had similar goals to the Romanians. They looked at allying or uniting with nearly all of their neighbors, be they Romanians, Serbs , Greeks and even Turks , to accomplish them. A Bulgarian revolutionary, Georgi Sava Rakovski , advocated for unity among
35259-443: The largest Natura 2000 areas in Europe covering 33.8% of its territory. It also achieved its Kyoto Protocol objective of reducing carbon dioxide emissions by 30% from 1990 to 2009. Bulgaria ranks 30th in the 2018 Environmental Performance Index , but scores low on air quality. Particulate levels are the highest in Europe, especially in urban areas affected by automobile traffic and coal-based power stations. One of these,
35478-443: The largest committee, the French one, possessed fewer than six-hundred members, two-thirds of them parliamentarians. Two centre-left French prime ministers went further. In 1929 Aristide Briand gave a speech in the presence of the League of Nations Assembly in which he proposed the idea of a federation of European nations based on solidarity and in the pursuit of economic prosperity and political and social co-operation. In 1930, at
35697-455: The largest territorial expansion of the state. After Simeon's death, Bulgaria was weakened by wars with Magyars and Pechenegs and the spread of Bogomilism . Preslav was seized by the Byzantine army in 971 after consecutive Rus' and Byzantine invasions. The empire briefly recovered from the attacks under Samuil , but this ended when Byzantine emperor Basil II defeated the Bulgarian army at Klyuch in 1014. Samuil died shortly after
35916-411: The latter was deposed by a coalition of conservatives and radical liberals known as the " monstrous coalition " in February 1866. As this coup had violated the Ottoman conditions for recognizing Romania's formation, the members of this coalition were concerned about a possible Ottoman military retaliation in favor of the prince, so they searched for allies. One option was Rakovski, but they learned later he
36135-436: The leadership of Georgi Dimitrov (1946–1949), who established a repressive, rapidly industrialising Stalinist state. By the mid-1950s, standards of living rose significantly and political repression eased. The Soviet-style planned economy saw some experimental market-oriented policies emerging under Todor Zhivkov (1954–1989). Compared to wartime levels, national GDP increased five-fold and per capita GDP quadrupled by
36354-426: The lowest in the EU. A balanced budget was achieved in 2003 and the country began running a surplus the following year. Expenditures amounted to $ 21.15 billion and revenues were $ 21.67 billion in 2017. Most government spending on institutions is earmarked for security. The ministries of defence, the interior and justice are allocated the largest share of the annual government budget, whereas those responsible for
36573-403: The matter in Romania. On 16 July, in its 12th issue, the Romanian newspaper Sentinela published the article Unirea Bulgariei cu România în persoana Regelui Carol I ("The union of Bulgaria with Romania in person of King Carol I") about the Bulgarian idea of a dual state. The next and last time that a potential union involving Bulgaria and Romania was seriously considered was during
36792-437: The meeting point of the Mediterranean , Oceanic and Continental air masses combined with the barrier effect of its mountains. Northern Bulgaria averages 1 °C (1.8 °F) cooler, and registers 200 millimetres (7.9 in) more precipitation, than the regions south of the Balkan mountains. Temperature amplitudes vary significantly in different areas. The lowest recorded temperature is −38.3 °C (−36.9 °F), while
37011-440: The militant Catholic community in the northwest of the country. As Ottoman power began to wane, Habsburg Austria and Russia saw Bulgarian Christians as potential allies. The Austrians first backed an uprising in Tarnovo in 1598 , then a second one in 1686 , the Chiprovtsi Uprising in 1688 and finally Karposh's rebellion in 1689. The Russian Empire also asserted itself as a protector of Christians in Ottoman lands with
37230-423: The most widespread gamebird . A third of all nesting birds in Bulgaria can be found in Rila National Park , which also hosts Arctic and alpine species at high altitudes. Flora includes more than 3,800 vascular plant species of which 170 are endemic and 150 are considered endangered. A checklist of larger fungi in Bulgaria by the Institute of Botany identifies more than 1,500 species. In Bulgaria forest cover
37449-400: The nation-states was essential for the first theories. Federalism and functionalism proposed the containment of the nation-state, while transactionalism sought to theorise the conditions for the stabilisation of the nation-state system. Early federalism was more like a political movement calling for European federation by various political actors, for example, Altiero Spinelli calling for
37668-602: The national currency, lev , which is pegged to the euro at a rate of 1.95583 levа per euro. After several consecutive years of high growth, repercussions of the financial crisis of 2007–2008 resulted in a 3.6% contraction of GDP in 2009 and increased unemployment. Positive growth was restored in 2010 but intercompany debt exceeded $ 59 billion, meaning that 60% of all Bulgarian companies were mutually indebted. By 2012, it had increased to $ 97 billion, or 227% of GDP. The government implemented strict austerity measures with IMF and EU encouragement to some positive fiscal results, but
37887-411: The navy operates various ships, helicopters and coastal defence weapons. Military inventory mainly consists of Soviet equipment like Mikoyan MiG-29 and Sukhoi Su-25 jets, S-300PT air defence systems and SS-21 Scarab short-range ballistic missiles . The Armed Forces are modernizing with F-16 Block 70 fighter jets, new multi-purpose corvettes and other modern NATO -standard equipment. Bulgaria
38106-411: The newspaper Maritsa and various Bulgarian politicians. One of them was Petko Karavelov , who said that "Prince Bibescu was not a Bulgarian prince" and that "he would hardly be honored even to be a head of stable of the future Bulgarian prince". In the end, neither Carol I nor Bibescu, both of whose proposed nominations encountered opposition in some way or another, was discussed in the assembly for
38325-407: The newspaper Nezavisimost as an "Eastern Federation" composed of three cores: Serbia (including Bosnia and Montenegro ), Bulgaria (with the regions of Moesia, Thrace and Macedonia ) and Romania, with an Albanian entity and with Constantinople as a free city . Greece could be included as well if it relinquished its efforts to recover former Byzantine lands. Karavelov made partition plans for
38544-410: The notable exception of Southern Dobrudzha , were lost. The left-wing coup d'état of 9 September 1944 led to the abolition of the monarchy and the executions of some 1,000–3,000 dissidents, war criminals, and members of the former royal elite. But it was not until 1946 that a one-party people's republic was instituted following a referendum. It fell into the Soviet sphere of influence under
38763-542: The parliaments and governments of the Nordic countries created in February 1953. It includes the states of Denmark , Finland , Iceland , Norway and Sweden , and their autonomous territories ( Greenland , Faroe Islands and Åland ). The Nordic Passport Union , created in 1954 but implemented on 1 May 1958, establishes free movement across borders without passports for the countries' citizens. It comprises Denmark, Sweden and Norway as foundational states; further, it includes Finland and Iceland since 24 September 1965, and
38982-473: The political events in Bulgaria. This prompted an aggressive response from the Romanian population, which began attacking newspaper editorial offices considered "Russian agents". As for Bulgaria, in November 1886, Russia broke relations with it until 1896. Throughout the crisis, Romania adopted a neutral position because of the intensification of the great powers' struggle for influence in Bulgaria. It offered Alexander asylum but also allowed Russophiles behind
39201-439: The population. GDP per capita (in PPS) and the cost of living in 2019 stood at 53 and 52.8% of the EU average (100%), respectively. National PPP GDP was estimated at $ 143.1 billion in 2016, with a per capita value of $ 20,116. Economic growth statistics take into account illegal transactions from the informal economy , which is the largest in the EU as a percentage of economic output. The Bulgarian National Bank issues
39420-411: The possibility and fueled nationalism and geopolitical conflicts. The main achievement of the Balkan federalist movements was the federation implemented in socialist Yugoslavia. However, the dissolution of this state in the 1990s was violent and dramatic, making a pan-Balkan federation even less popular and reinforcing the idea of culturally and ethnically homogeneous nation states . Problems regarding
39639-415: The possibility of regional armed conflict. Other initiatives have removed barriers to free trade in European regions, and increased the free movement of people, labour, goods, and capital across national borders. Since the end of the Second World War, the following organisations have been established in the Nordic region : The Nordic Council and the Nordic Council of Ministers is a co-operation forum for
39858-434: The priorities of the Bulgarians were more important, and their country was seen as an opportunity to expand Soviet interests over Romania, Greece and Turkey. This gave Bulgaria a "protagonist" role in the Balkans. Between Bulgaria and Romania, even if there continued to be national and political differences, the subject of federation was still active. In an interview with the Romanian journalist Gheorghe Zaharia in November 1946,
40077-436: The purpose of common prosperity". The Spanish philosopher and politician, Ortega y Gasset , expressed a position shared by many within Republican Spain : "European unity is no fantasy, but reality itself; and the fantasy is precisely the opposite: the belief that France, Germany, Italy or Spain are substantive & independent realities." Eleftherios Venizelos , Prime Minister of Greece , outlined his government's support in
40296-404: The region around the 4th century. The Gothic Bible —the first Germanic language book—was created by Gothic bishop Ulfilas in what is today northern Bulgaria around 381. The region came under Byzantine control after the fall of Rome in 476. The Byzantines were engaged in prolonged warfare against Persia and could not defend their Balkan territories from barbarian incursions. This enabled
40515-408: The region of Macedonia from Ottoman rule. Supposedly, this state would have two separate governments but a common military command in case of war. Brătianu communicated this to the Bulgarian diplomat Grigor Nachovich . Bulgaria later denied these claims, although the friendship between Bulgaria and Romania and the desire for a Balkan confederation was confirmed. Between 1886 and 1887, Bulgaria faced
40734-419: The regular April 2021 election, but with its weakest result so far. All other parties refused to form a government, and after a brief deadlock, another election was called for July 2021 . It too failed to break the stalemate, as no political party was able to form a coalition government. In April 2023, because of the political deadlock, Bulgaria held its fifth parliamentary election since April 2021. GERB
40953-411: The series of Serbian agreements and treaties signed between 1866 and 1868 for an alliance against the Ottomans (known as the First Balkan Alliance ), it was suggested that Romania would receive eastern Bulgaria up to a line between Ruse and Varna while Serbia would receive the rest. This proposal was rejected by the Romanian Government, an action that Bulgaria later appreciated. As a consequence of
41172-569: The simple joys and hopes which make life worth living. European integration scholars Thomas Diez and Antje Wiener identify the general tendencies in the development of European integration theory and suggest to divide theories of integration into three broad phases, which are preceded by a normative proto-integration theory period. There's a gradual shift from theories studying European integration as sui generis towards new approaches that incorporate theories of International Relations and Comparative politics. The question of how to avoid wars between
41391-475: The social consequences of these measures, such as increased income inequality and accelerated outward migration, have been "catastrophic" according to the International Trade Union Confederation . European integration European integration is the process of industrial, economic, political, legal, social, and cultural integration of states wholly or partially in Europe , or nearby. European integration has primarily but not exclusively come about through
41610-455: The southernmost part of the continental climatic zone , with small areas in the south falling within the Mediterranean climatic zone . The continental zone is predominant, because continental air masses flow easily into the unobstructed Danubian Plain . The continental influence, stronger during the winter, produces abundant snowfall; the Mediterranean influence increases during the second half of summer and produces hot and dry weather. Bulgaria
41829-448: The spillover from the European Coal and Steel Community to the European Economic Community established in the 1957 Treaties of Rome. Transfers of loyalties from the national level to the supranational level is expected to occur as integration progresses. The other big influential theory in Integration Studies is Intergovernmentalism , advanced by Stanley Hoffmann after the Empty Chair Crisis by French President Charles De Gaulle in
42048-649: The state-model. Transactionalism, on the other hand, sees increased cross-border exchanges as promoting regional integration so that the risk of war is reduced. European integration theory initially focused on explaining integration process of supranational institution-building. One of the most influential theories of European integration is neofunctionalism , influenced by functionalist ideas, developed by Ernst B. Haas (1958) and further investigated by Leon Lindberg (1963). This theory focuses on spillovers of integration, where well-integrated and interdependent areas led to more integration. Neofunctionalism well captures
42267-418: The status of Bulgaria with respect to Yugoslavia. Negotiations between both began again in 1947 and early 1948, when a Balkan or Balkan–Danubian federation was proposed with the possibility of Romanian participation. The pro- Soviet and pro-communist governments established in Bulgaria and Romania at the end of World War II somewhat improved the previously damaged relations between the two. In fact, when
42486-616: The system and appoints judges. The legal system is regarded by both domestic and international observers as one of Europe's most inefficient due to a pervasive lack of transparency and corruption. Law enforcement is carried out by organisations mainly subordinate to the Ministry of the Interior . The General Directorate of National Police (GDNP) combats general crime and maintains public order. GDNP fields 26,578 police officers in its local and national sections. The bulk of criminal cases are transport-related, followed by theft and drug-related crime; homicide rates are low . The Ministry of
42705-430: The three nations agreed to its structure and rules on 13 June 1994. The Baltic Free Trade Area (BAFTA) was a trade agreement between Estonia, Lithuania and Latvia. It was signed on 13 September 1993 and came into force on 1 April 1994. The agreement was later extended to apply also to agricultural products, effective from 1 January 1997. BAFTA ceased to exist when its members joined the EU on 1 May 2004. The Council of
42924-417: The top of its budgetary expenditure priorities. The loss of COMECON markets in 1990 and the subsequent " shock therapy " of the planned system caused a steep decline in industrial and agricultural production, ultimately followed by an economic collapse in 1997. The economy largely recovered during a period of rapid growth several years later, but the average salary of 2,072 leva ($ 1,142) per month remains
43143-449: The treaty out of fear that such a large country in the Balkans might threaten their interests. It was superseded by the Treaty of Berlin , signed on 13 July. It provided for a much smaller state, the Principality of Bulgaria , only comprising Moesia and the region of Sofia , and leaving large populations of ethnic Bulgarians outside the new country. This significantly contributed to Bulgaria's militaristic foreign affairs approach during
43362-436: The two could bring. However, during this period, there were no proposals or suggestions of a union from any Romanian official. On 15 and 16 January 1948, during Dimitrov's visit to Bucharest, the Bulgarian–Romanian Treaty of Friendship, Cooperation and Mutual Assistance was signed. The actual motivation behind this treaty could have been the hope for a Bulgarian–Romanian union. While on his visit, Dimitrov wanted to speak to
43581-431: The two peoples and the opposition from great powers like Austria-Hungary and especially Russia . This idea had historical precedents: Bulgarians and Romanians had first lived together under the rule of the First Bulgarian Empire , which extended its power into areas that form part of Romania today; under the Second Bulgarian Empire , established through the cooperation of Bulgarians and Vlachs (Romanians); and under
43800-399: The two was necessary. He called for a Bulgarian–Romanian rapprochement "based on equality" and described the Second Bulgarian Empire as a "strong state" in which Bulgarians and Romanians lived together. It is likely Rakovski said this envisioning a reestablishment of the empire. The newspaper set itself the goal of defending the rights of Romanians and Bulgarians against the Ottoman Empire and
44019-424: The war (in which Romania had also participated alongside Russia), ending in the country's full independence as determined by the Treaty of Berlin . According to Romanian sources, at the end of the war, Nikolay Pavlovich Ignatyev , the Russian ambassador to the Ottoman Empire, "had whispered to Prince Carol I to assume the liberated Bulgarian land under his control", but this never happened supposedly because of
44238-416: The war was still happening, Bulgaria recovered Southern Dobruja following the signing of the Treaty of Craiova , done under Nazi German pressure. When World War II ended, both countries were diplomatically isolated, subordinated to the Soviet Union and occupied by its army. The Soviet Union considered Romania as being in an "inferior" situation. This was probably due to the bad relations that Romania and
44457-448: The zone's South Slavs . The main advocates were intellectuals, revolutionaries and politicians from both the right and left wings. Some examples are the Romanian diplomat and politician Dimitrie Brătianu , the Romanian lawyer and politician Aurel Popovici and the Bulgarian writer Lyuben Karavelov . A federation, a confederation , a federal monarchic union or a federal republic were contemplated to accomplish this. A personal union
44676-484: Was Alexander of Battenberg , a German prince. Although Alexander had good relations with Romania , he was forced to abdicate in 1886 following a period of political turmoil in Bulgaria caused by Russia, which tried to exert its influence over the country. Due to this, Stefan Stambolov , who was politically anti-Russian , became leader of the regents . Stambolov tried again to establish a personal union with Romania, and negotiations were conducted. Carol I would be
44895-489: Was a Polish-oriented version of Mitteleuropa . The Great Depression , the rise of fascism and communism and subsequently World War II prevented the inter-war movements from gaining further support: between 1933 and 1936 most of Europe's remaining democracies became dictatorships, and Ortega's Spain and Venizelos's Greece had both plunged into civil war. But although the social-democratic, liberal or Christian-democratic supporters of European unity were out of power during
45114-431: Was another option as this was a period when monarchies were numerous. The Bulgarians and the Romanians were already familiar with the concept of national unification. Bulgaria , which was established as an Ottoman vassal state after a war in 1878, united with the Ottoman autonomous province of Eastern Rumelia in 1885, remaining in a personal union with it until 1908, when Bulgaria proclaimed its full independence from
45333-432: Was close to the prince, so they allied themselves with a former associate of Rakovski, Ivan Kasabov [ bg ] . Kasabov proposed that Romania support a Bulgarian rebellion in the Ottoman Empire (since a Bulgarian entity did not yet exist) to divert attention from the coup in Bucharest. One document entitled the Act for Sacred Coalition between Romanians and Bulgarians was drafted for settling this. According to it,
45552-409: Was declared. Romania was now even more isolated and institutionally incompetent than before. Under these circumstances, Bulgarian influence over Romania increased, and Romanian communists started to study and even imitate the Bulgarian communist regime. The Romanian Communist Party press began to idealize the Bulgarian leader, mention Bulgarian achievements and talk about the benefits that a union between
45771-402: Was followed by a Byzantine recognition of the Bulgarian church and the adoption of the Cyrillic alphabet , developed in the capital, Preslav . The common language, religion and script strengthened central authority and gradually fused the Slavs and Bulgars into a unified people speaking a single Slavic language . A golden age began during the 34-year rule of Simeon the Great , who oversaw
45990-454: Was later convicted of being involved in a plot to attempt "the Helvetization of Romania" in 1959. Once imprisoned, he said that what Dimitrov meant was the incorporation of the concept of neutrality in Romania, Bulgaria and Yugoslavia. According to the Bulgarian historian Blagovest Nyagulov, this can also be interpreted as the subsequent federalization of the three countries following the Swiss model. When Dimitrov returned from Bucharest, he gave
46209-417: Was never signed, the project remained unrealized and the Romanian liberals withdrew from the alliance after Carol I , from the German House of Hohenzollern , became prince of Romania in May 1866. Another suggestion for a union involving Bulgarians and Romanians was that of the Bulgarian writer Lyuben Karavelov. He intended a union of the South Slavs and Romania, Albania and Greece . He presented this in
46428-420: Was not the only Romanian proposed for the Bulgarian throne. The son of the Wallachian prince Gheorghe Bibescu (who ruled between 1843 and 1848), George Bibescu, who was a naturalized Frenchman, was discussed as a potential candidate as well. Backed by the French politician Léon Gambetta and some Austrian ones, he sent envoys to Bulgaria to propose himself for the throne. Supporters of Bibescu also emerged from
46647-400: Was once again invaded, this time by the Bulgars under Khan Asparukh . Their horde was a remnant of Old Great Bulgaria , an extinct tribal confederacy situated north of the Black Sea in what is now Ukraine and southern Russia. Asparukh attacked Byzantine territories in Moesia and conquered the Slavic tribes there in 680. A peace treaty with the Byzantine Empire was signed in 681, marking
46866-438: Was probably the desire not to irritate the Soviet Union. On 12 July 1947, a meeting in Sofia between Bulgarian and Romanian governmental officials was organized. The leaders of both countries, Dimitrov (Bulgaria) and Petru Groza (Romania), discussed a rapprochement, with Groza saying "these Chinese walls" (referring to the borders) had to be torn down to "get to know the neighboring peoples better", perhaps subtly suggesting
47085-463: Was probably to ensure control over its satellite states and because Dimitrov's proposal could serve the United States' opposition to the emerging Eastern Bloc . Stalin precluded and was against the possibility of a federation between Bulgaria and Romania or the improvement of relations between the two. According to him, a union between the two countries was "unthinkable" and "stupid" since there were not "any Bulgarian–Romanian historical ties", repeating
47304-520: Was renamed in 1866 to simply "Romania". During the 19th century, the idea of federalization was on the minds of both Romanians and Bulgarians. Romanians wanted to accomplish the independence, liberation and unification of the Romanian nation from the Habsburg (or Austrian or Austro-Hungarian ), Russian and Ottoman empires, and some thought of using this idea to achieve these aims. Notable supporters of this were Nicolae Bălcescu , Dimitrie Brătianu, Mihai Eminescu and Aurel Popovici, who either suggested
47523-483: Was suppressed, and they experienced partial Islamisation . Ottoman authorities established a religious administrative community called the Rum Millet , which governed all Orthodox Christians regardless of their ethnicity. Most of the local population then gradually lost its distinct national consciousness, identifying only by its faith. The clergy remaining in some isolated monasteries kept their ethnic identity alive, enabling its survival in remote rural areas, and in
47742-502: Was the biggest, winning 69 seats. The bloc led by We Continue the Change won 64 seats in the 240-seat parliament. In June 2023, Prime Minister Nikolai Denkov formed a new coalition between We Continue The Change and GERB. According to the coalition agreement, Denkov will lead the government for the first nine months. He will be succeeded by former European Commissioner, Mariya Gabriel , of the GERB party. She will take over as prime minister after nine months. Freedom House has reported
47961-454: Was trying to convince him and other Bulgarians of the advantages and importance of a union with Romania. Balabanov responded saying no decision would be made without Russian consent. Austria-Hungary and Russia opposed the idea, probably because of concerns that a new state would become a competitor in the region. Furthermore, the Bulgarian press said the Romanians would hardly defend Bulgarian interests and their national unification. Carol I
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