Party Regulation in Post-communist Bulgaria

Authors: Ekaterina R. Rashkova & Maria Spirova | Published in: working paper series on the legal regulation of political parties, no. 21, May. | Date of publication: 2012

Since the fall of communism and the transition to democracy all East European states have transitioned to multiparty democracies. However, the legal frameworks within which parties function differ substantially among countries. Some countries, embrace diversity without posing obstacles to mobilization on ethnic grounds, for example, while others prohibit the establishment and existence of parties of ethnic ideology. Here, we study how Bulgarian parties are regulated through the Party Law, the Electoral Law and the Constitution. In particular we look at the requirements for setting up of political parties and the type, quantity, and allocation mechanisms of public funding and trace the effect that these and other factors have had on the development of the current party system. Empirically, we examine the fate of small political parties. Our main conclusion is that the introduction of institutions such as an electoral deposit, considerably decrease the number of minor political parties.

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