List of heads of state of Bulgaria

This is a list of the heads of state of the modern Bulgarian state, from the establishment of the Principality of Bulgaria to the present day.

It also lists the General Secretaries of the Bulgarian Communist Party in 1946-1990. From 1946 onwards, the General Secretary was the country's de facto chief executive.

Heads of State of Bulgaria (1879–present)

Principality of Bulgaria (1878–1908)

House of Battenberg (1879–1886)

Prince			Reign			Claim
#	Portrait	Name (Born–Died)	Reign start	Reign end	Duration
1		Alexander I Александър I (1857–1893)	29 April 1879	7 September 1886 (Abdicated)		Elected by the First Grand National Assembly

House of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha (1887–1908)

Prince			Reign			Claim
#	Portrait	Name (Born–Died)	Reign start	Reign end	Duration
2		Ferdinand I Фердинанд I (1861–1948)	7 July 1887	5 October 1908		Elected by the Third Grand National Assembly

Kingdom of Bulgaria (1908–1946)

House of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha (1908–1946)

  Denotes Regent

Tsar			Reign			Claim
#	Portrait	Name (Born–Died)	Reign start	Reign end	Duration
1		Ferdinand I Фердинанд I (1861–1948)	5 October 1908	3 October 1918 (Abdicated)		Proclaimed himself as Tsar
2	60px	Boris III Борис III (1894–1943)	3 October 1918	28 August 1943		Son of Ferdinand I
3	60px	Simeon II Симеон II (1937– )	28 August 1943	15 September 1946 (Deposed)		Son of Boris III
–		Prince Kiril of Preslav Кирил Преславски (1895–1945)	28 August 1943	9 September 1944		First Regency Council For Simeon II
–		Bogdan Filov Богдан Филов (1883–1945)
–		Lt. General Nikola Mikhov Никола Михов (1891–1945)
–		Todor Pavlov Тодор Павлов (1890–1977)	9 September 1944	15 September 1946		Second Regency Council For Simeon II
–		Venelin Ganev Венелин Ганев (1880–1966)
–		Tsvetko Boboshevski Цвятко Бобошевски (1884–1952)

People's Republic of Bulgaria (1946–1990)

Status

  Denotes Acting Head of State

Head of State			Term of office			Political party
#	Portrait	Name (Born–Died)	Took office	Left office	Duration
Chairman of the Provisional Presidency
1		Vasil Kolarov Васил Коларов (1877–1950)	15 September 1946	9 December 1947		Bulgarian Communist Party
Chairman of the Presidium of the National Assembly
1		Mincho Neychev Минчо Нейчев (1897–1956)	9 December 1947	27 May 1950		Bulgarian Communist Party
2		Georgi Damyanov Георги Дамянов (1892–1958)	27 May 1950	27 November 1958 (Died in Office)		Bulgarian Communist Party
–		Georgi Kulishev Георги Кулишев (1885–1974)	27 November 1958	30 November 1958		Bulgarian Communist Party
–		Nikolay Georgiev Николай Георгиев (1906–1987)				Bulgarian Communist Party
3		Dimitar Ganev Димитър Ганев (1898–1964)	30 November 1958	20 April 1964 (Died in Office)		Bulgarian Communist Party
–		Georgi Kulishev Георги Кулишев (1885–1974)	20 April 1964	23 April 1964		Bulgarian Communist Party
–		Nikolay Georgiev Николай Георгиев (1906–1987)				Bulgarian Communist Party
4		Georgi Traykov Георги Трайков (1898–1975)	23 April 1964	7 July 1971		Bulgarian Agrarian National Union
Chairman of the State Council
1		Todor Zhivkov Тодор Живков (1911–1998)	8 July 1971	17 November 1989		Bulgarian Communist Party
2		Petar Mladenov Петър Младенов (1936–2000)	17 November 1989	3 April 1990		Bulgarian Communist Party
Chairman (President) of the Republic
1		Petar Mladenov Петър Младенов (1936–2000)	3 April 1990	6 July 1990		Bulgarian Socialist Party
–		Stanko Todorov Станко Тодоров (1920–1996)	6 July 1990	17 July 1990		Independent
–		Nikolai Todorov Николай Тодоров (1921–2003)	17 July 1990	1 August 1990		Independent
2		Zhelyu Zhelev Желю Желев (1935–2015)	1 August 1990	15 November 1990		Union of Democratic Forces

General Secretaries of the Bulgarian Communist Party (1945–1990)

General Secretary			Term of office			Notes
#	Portrait	Name (Born–Died)	Took office	Left office	Duration
1		Georgi Dimitrov Георги Димитров (1882–1949)	December 1946	2 July 1949	2 years, 7 months	Also Prime Minister (1946–1949)
2		Vulko Chervenkov Вълко Червенков (1900–1980)	2 July 1949	4 March 1954		Also Prime Minister (1950–1956)
3		Todor Zhivkov Тодор Живков (1911–1998)	4 March 1954	10 November 1989		Also Prime Minister (1962–1971), and Chairman of the Council of State (1971–1989)
4		Petar Mladenov Петър Младенов (1936–2000)	10 November 1989	2 February 1990		Also Chairman of the Council of State (1989–1990)

Republic of Bulgaria (1990–present)

Head of State			Term of office			Political party
#	Portrait	Name (Born–Died)	Took office	Left office	Duration
Chairman (President) of the Republic
(2)		Zhelyu Zhelev Желю Желев (1935–2015)	15 November 1990	22 January 1992		Union of Democratic Forces
President of the Republic
1		Zhelyu Zhelev Желю Желев (1935–2015)	22 January 1992	22 January 1997		Union of Democratic Forces
2		Petar Stoyanov Петър Стоянов (1952–)	22 January 1997	22 January 2002		Union of Democratic Forces
3		Georgi Parvanov Георги Първанов (1957–)	22 January 2002	22 January 2012		Bulgarian Socialist Party
4	60px	Rosen Plevneliev Росен Плевнелиев (1964–)	22 January 2012	Incumbent		GERB

Living former heads of state

Name	Term/Reign	Office	Date of birth
Simeon II	1943–1946	Tsar of Bulgaria	16 June 1937
Petar Stoyanov	1997–2002	President of the Republic	25 May 1952
Georgi Parvanov	2002–2012	President of the Republic	28 June 1957

Head of State titles

State	Years	Title
Principality of Bulgaria (Under Battenberg dynasty)	1879–1886	Prince of Bulgaria
Principality of Bulgaria (Under Saxe-Coburg and Gotha dynasty)	1887–1908
Kingdom of Bulgaria (Under Saxe-Coburg and Gotha dynasty)	1908–1946	Tsar of Bulgaria
People's Republic of Bulgaria	1946–1947	Chairman of the Provisional Presidency
	1947–1971	Chairman of the Presidium of the National Assembly
	1971–1990	Chairman of the State Council
	1990	Chairman (President) of the Republic
Republic of Bulgaria	1990–1992	Chairman (President) of the Republic
	1992–Present	President of the Republic

See also

• Politics of Bulgaria
• List of Bulgarian monarchs
• List of Bulgarian regents
• List of Prime Ministers of Bulgaria
• List of First Deputy Chairmen of the State Council of Bulgaria
• Vice President of Bulgaria

External links

• List of Bulgarian heads of state and government
• The President of the Republic of Bulgaria
• King Simeon