On 15 November 1990, the Seventh Grand National Assembly decided that the state would be called “Republic of Bulgaria” instead of “People’s Republic of Bulgaria”. The change was made by amending Article 1 of the Constitution in force at the time and came just over a year after Todor Zhivkov was removed from power.
The decision was an important step in the political transition, but the date of the vote and the date of its legal promulgation do not coincide. The amendment law was published in the “State Gazette”, issue No. 94, dated 23 November 1990.
From People’s Republic to Republic of Bulgaria
Under the amended constitutional text, the state was defined as follows: “The Republic of Bulgaria is a democratic, parliamentary and constitutional state.” The same amendment also changed the provisions concerning the national symbols. The flag was described as tricolour—white, green and red—with no coat of arms placed on it.
The change came after decades of one-party rule. The People’s Republic of Bulgaria was proclaimed on 15 September 1946, and the Dimitrov Constitution was adopted in 1947. From 1954 to 1989, Todor Zhivkov led the state and the Bulgarian Communist Party.
The transition after 10 November 1989
After Zhivkov’s removal, political changes began, the Union of Democratic Forces was established, and in the spring of 1990 the first multiparty elections in more than 40 years were held. The elected Seventh Grand National Assembly was tasked with drafting a new basic law.
The new Constitution was adopted on 12 July 1991. It established Bulgaria as a republic with parliamentary government and replaced the constitutional order in force up to that point. Thus, the change of name in November 1990 proved to be part of a broader restructuring of the state institutions and political system.
Sources: actualno.com, nova.bg, standartnews.com