List of heads of state of Bulgaria explained

This is a list of the heads 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 1948–1990. From 1948 onwards, the general secretary was the country's de facto chief executive.

Principality of Bulgaria (1878–1908)

width=35% colspan=3	Prince	width=40% colspan=3	Reign	House	width=25% rowspan=2	Claim
	Portrait	width=30%	Name		Reign start	Reign end	Duration
		Alexander I Bulgarian: Александър I 1857–1893	29 April 1879	7 September 1886		Battenberg	Elected by the First Grand National Assembly
		Ferdinand I Bulgarian: Фердинанд I 1861–1948	7 July 1887	5 October 1908		Saxe-Coburg and Gotha-Koháry	Elected by the Third Grand National Assembly

Kingdom of Bulgaria (1908–1946)

width=35% colspan=3	Tsar	width=40% colspan=3	Reign	House	width=25% rowspan=2	Claim
	Portrait	width=30%	Name		Reign start	Reign end	Duration
		Ferdinand I Bulgarian: Фердинанд I 1861–1948	5 October 1908	3 October 1918		Saxe-Coburg and Gotha-Koháry	Proclaimed himself as Tsar
		Boris III Bulgarian: Борис III 1894–1943	3 October 1918	28 August 1943		Saxe-Coburg and Gotha-Koháry	Son of Ferdinand I
		Simeon II Bulgarian: Симеон II Born 1937	28 August 1943	15 September 1946		Saxe-Coburg and Gotha-Koháry	Son of Boris III
		Kiril, Prince of Preslav Bulgarian: Кирил, принц Преславски 1895–1945	28 August 1943	9 September 1944		Saxe-Coburg and Gotha-Koháry	First Regency Council For Simeon II
		Bogdan Filov Bulgarian: Богдан Филов 1883–1945				—
		Nikola Mihov Bulgarian: Никола Михов 1891–1945
		Todor Pavlov Bulgarian: Тодор Павлов 1890–1977	9 September 1944	15 September 1946		—	Second Regency Council For Simeon II
		Venelin Ganev Bulgarian: Венелин Ганев 1880–1966
		Tsvetko Boboshevski Bulgarian: Цвятко Бобошевски 1884–1952

People's Republic of Bulgaria (1946–1990)

Status

width=35% colspan=3	Head of State	width=40% colspan=3	Term of office	width=25% rowspan=2	Duration	width=25% rowspan=2	Political party
	Portrait	width=30%	Name	Election	Took office	Left office
Chairman of the Provisional Presidency
		Vasil Kolarov Bulgarian: Васил Коларов 1877–1950	—	15 September 1946	9 December 1947		BKP
Chairman of the Presidium of the National Assembly
		Mincho Neychev Bulgarian: Минчо Нейчев 1887–1956	—	9 December 1947	27 May 1950		BKP
		Georgi Damyanov Bulgarian: Георги Дамянов 1892–1958	—	27 May 1950	27 November 1958†		BKP
		Georgi Kulishev Bulgarian: Георги Кулишев 1885–1974	—	27 November 1958	30 November 1958		BKP
		Bulgarian: Николай Георгиев 1906–1987	—				BZNS
		Dimitar Ganev Bulgarian: Димитър Ганев 1898–1964	—	30 November 1958	20 April 1964†		BKP
		Georgi Kulishev Bulgarian: Георги Кулишев 1885–1974	—	20 April 1964	23 April 1964		BKP
		Bulgarian: Николай Георгиев 1906–1987	—				BZNS
		Georgi Traykov Bulgarian: Георги Трайков 1898–1975	—	23 April 1964	7 July 1971		BZNS
Chairman of the State Council
		Todor Zhivkov Bulgarian: Тодор Живков 1911–1998	—	7 July 1971	17 November 1989		BKP
		Petar Mladenov Bulgarian: Петър Младенов 1936–2000	—	17 November 1989	3 April 1990		BKP
Chairman (President) of the Republic
		Petar Mladenov Bulgarian: Петър Младенов 1936–2000	(Apr) 1990	3 April 1990	6 July 1990		BSP
		Stanko Todorov Bulgarian: Станко Тодоров 1920–1996	—	6 July 1990	17 July 1990		BSP
		Nikolai Todorov Bulgarian: Николай Тодоров 1921–2003	—	17 July 1990	1 August 1990		BSP
		Zhelyu Zhelev Bulgarian: Желю Желев 1935–2015	(Jul–Aug) 1990	1 August 1990	15 November 1990		SDS

General Secretaries of the Bulgarian Communist Party (1948–1990)

width=35% colspan=3	General Secretary	width=40% colspan=3	Term of office	width=25% rowspan=2	Notes
	Portrait	width=30%	Name	Took office	Left office	Duration
		Georgi Dimitrov Bulgarian: Георги Димитров 1882–1949	27 December 1948	2 July 1949		Also Prime Minister (1946–1949)
		Valko Chervenkov Bulgarian: Вълко Червенков 1900–1980	2 July 1949	4 March 1954		Also Prime Minister (1950–1956)
		Todor Zhivkov Bulgarian: Тодор Живков 1911–1998	4 March 1954	10 November 1989		Also Prime Minister (1962–1971), and Chairman of the Council of State (1971–1989)
		Petar Mladenov Bulgarian: Петър Младенов 1936–2000	10 November 1989	2 February 1990		Also Chairman of the Council of State (1989–1990)

Republic of Bulgaria (1990–present)

width=35% colspan=3	President	width=40% colspan=3	Term of office	width=25% rowspan=2	Duration	width=25% rowspan=2	Political party
	Portrait	width=30%	Name	Election	Took office	Left office
Chairman (President) of the Republic
		Zhelyu Zhelev Bulgarian: Желю Желев 1935–2015	(Jul-Aug) 1990	15 November 1990	22 January 1992		SDS
President of the Republic
		Zhelyu Zhelev Bulgarian: Желю Желев 1935–2015	1992	22 January 1992	22 January 1997	years	SDS
		Petar Stoyanov Bulgarian: Петър Стоянов Born 1952	1996	22 January 1997	22 January 2002	years	SDS
		Georgi Parvanov Bulgarian: Георги Първанов Born 1957	2001 2006	22 January 2002	22 January 2012	years	BSP
		Rosen Plevneliev Bulgarian: Росен Плевнелиев Born 1964	2011	22 January 2012	22 January 2017	years	GERB
		Rumen Radev Bulgarian: Румен Радев Born 1963	2016 2021	22 January 2017	Incumbent		Independent

Head of state titles

State	Years	Title
	1879–1908	Prince of Bulgaria
	1908–1946	Tsar 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
	1990–1992
	1992–present	President of the Republic

See also

• Politics of Bulgaria
• List of Bulgarian monarchs
• List of Bulgarian regents
• List of heads of government of Bulgaria
• List of presidents of Bulgaria (1990-present)
• 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