List of heads of government of Bulgaria

Last updated May 21, 2024

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

List of officeholders

Principality of Bulgaria (1878–1908)

No.	Portrait	Name (Birth–Death)	Term of office			Political party	Election	Cabinet
No.	Portrait	Name (Birth–Death)	Took office	Left office	Time in office	Political party	Election	Cabinet
Chairmen of the Council of Ministers 1879–1908
1		Todor Burmov 1834–1906 (Lived: 72 years)	17 July 1879	6 December 1879	142 days	Conservative Party	1879 (Jan)	Burmov
2		Bishop Kliment Branitski 1841–1901 (Lived: 60 years)	6 December 1879	7 April 1880	123 days	Conservative Party	—	Kliment I
3		Dragan Tsankov 1828–1911 (Lived: 82 years)	7 April 1880	10 December 1880	247 days	Liberal Party	1879 (Sep–Oct) 1880	D. Tsankov I
4		Petko Karavelov 1843–1903 (Lived: 59 years)	10 December 1880	9 May 1881	150 days	Liberal Party	1881 (Jan)	Karavelov I
5		Johan Ehrnrooth 1833–1913 (Lived: 79 years)	9 May 1881	13 July 1881	65 days	Imperial Russian Army	1881 (Jun) ^{[NA 1]}	Ehrnrooth
—		Vacant: authoritarian regime by Prince Alexander I 1857–1893 (Lived: 36 years)	13 July 1881	5 July 1882	357 days	—	—	—
6		Leonid Sobolev 1844–1913 (Lived: 69 years)	5 July 1882	19 September 1883	1 year, 76 days	Imperial Russian Army	1882 ^{[NA 2]}	Sobolev
(3)		Dragan Tsankov 1828–1911 (Lived: 82 years) 2nd time	19 September 1883	11 July 1884	296 days	Liberal Party	1884	D. Tsankov II–III
(4)		Petko Karavelov 1843–1903 (Lived: 59 years) 2nd time	11 July 1884	21 August 1886	2 years, 41 days	Liberal Party	—	Karavelov II
(2)		Metropolitan Kliment of Tarnovo 1841–1901 (Lived: 60 years) 2nd time	21 August 1886	24 August 1886	3 days	Conservative Party	—	Kliment II
(4)		Petko Karavelov 1843–1903 (Lived: 59 years) 3rd time	24 August 1886	28 August 1886	4 days	Liberal Party	—	Karavelov III
7		Vasil Radoslavov 1854–1929 (Lived: 75 years)	28 August 1886	10 July 1887	316 days	Liberal Party	1886	Radoslavov I
8		Konstantin Stoilov 1853–1901 (Lived: 47 years)	10 July 1887	1 September 1887	53 days	Conservative Party	—	Stoilov I
9		Stefan Stambolov 1854–1895 (Lived: 41 years)	1 September 1887	31 May 1894	6 years, 272 days	People's Liberal Party	1887 1890 1893 (Apr) 1893 (Jul)	Stambolov
(8)		Konstantin Stoilov 1853–1901 (Lived: 47 years) 2nd time	31 May 1894	30 January 1899	4 years, 244 days	People's Party	1894 1896	Stoilov II–III
10		Dimitar Grekov 1847–1901 (Lived: 53 years)	30 January 1899	13 October 1899	256 days	People's Liberal Party	1899	Grekov
11		Todor Ivanchov 1858–1905 (Lived: 46 years)	13 October 1899	25 January 1901	1 year, 104 days	Liberal Party (Radoslavists)	—	Ivanchov I–II
12		Racho Petrov 1861–1942 (Lived: 80 years)	25 January 1901	5 March 1901	39 days	Independent	1901	Petrov I
(4)		Petko Karavelov 1843–1903 (Lived: 59 years) 4th time	5 March 1901	4 January 1902	305 days	Democratic Party	—	Karavelov IV
13		Stoyan Danev 1858–1949 (Lived: 91 years)	4 January 1902	19 May 1903	1 year, 135 days	Progressive Liberal Party	1902	Danev I–III
(12)		Racho Petrov 1861–1942 (Lived: 80 years) 2nd time	19 May 1903	5 November 1906	3 years, 170 days	Independent	1903	Petrov II
14		Dimitar Petkov 1858–1907 (Lived: 48 years)	5 November 1906	11 March 1907†	126 days	People's Liberal Party	—	Petkov
15		Dimitar Stanchov 1863–1940 (Lived: 76 years) Acting	12 March 1907	16 March 1907	4 days	Independent	—	Stanchov
16		Petar Gudev 1863–1932 (Lived: 68 years)	16 March 1907	29 January 1908	319 days	People's Liberal Party	—	Gudev
17		Aleksandar Malinov 1867–1938 (Lived: 70 years)	29 January 1908	5 October 1908	250 days	Democratic Party	1908	Malinov I

Kingdom of Bulgaria (1908–1946)

No.	Portrait	Name (Birth–Death)	Term of office			Political party	Election	Cabinet
No.	Portrait	Name (Birth–Death)	Took office	Left office	Time in office	Political party	Election	Cabinet
Chairmen of the Council of Ministers 1908–1946
17		Aleksandar Malinov 1867–1938 (Lived: 70 years)	5 October 1908	29 March 1911	2 years, 175 days	Democratic Party	—	Malinov I–II
18		Ivan Evstratiev Geshov 1849–1924 (Lived: 75 years)	29 March 1911	14 June 1913	2 years, 77 days	People's Party	1911 (Jun) 1911 (Sep)	Geshov
(13)		Stoyan Danev 1858–1949 (Lived: 91 years) 2nd time	14 June 1913	17 July 1913	33 days	Progressive Liberal Party	—	Danev IV
(7)		Vasil Radoslavov 1854–1929 (Lived: 75 years) 2nd time	17 July 1913	21 June 1918	4 years, 339 days	Liberal Party (Radoslavists)	1913 1914	Radoslavov II–III
(17)		Aleksandar Malinov 1867–1938 (Lived: 70 years) 2nd time	21 June 1918	28 November 1918	160 days	Democratic Party	—	Malinov III–IV
19		Teodor Teodorov 1869–1924 (Lived: 55 years)	28 November 1918	6 October 1919	312 days	People's Party	—	Teodorov I–II
20		Aleksandar Stamboliyski 1879–1923 (Lived: 44 years)	6 October 1919	9 June 1923 (Deposed)	3 years, 246 days	Bulgarian Agrarian National Union	1919 1920 1923 (Apr)	Stamboliyski I–II
21		Aleksandar Tsankov 1879–1959 (Lived: 80 years)	9 June 1923	4 January 1926	2 years, 209 days	Democratic Alliance	1923 (Nov)	A. Tsankov I–II
22		Andrey Lyapchev 1866–1933 (Lived: 66 years)	4 January 1926	29 June 1931	5 years, 176 days	Democratic Alliance	1927	Lyapchev I–III
(17)		Aleksandar Malinov 1867–1938 (Lived: 70 years) 3rd time	29 June 1931	12 October 1931	105 days	Democratic Party	1931	Malinov V
23		Nikola Mushanov 1872–1951 (Lived: 79 years)	12 October 1931	19 May 1934 (Deposed)	2 years, 219 days	Democratic Party	—	Mushanov I–III
24		Kimon Georgiev 1882–1969 (Lived: 87 years)	19 May 1934	22 January 1935	248 days	Independent	—	Georgiev I
25		Pencho Zlatev 1881–1948 (Lived: 66 years)	22 January 1935	21 April 1935	89 days	Bulgarian Army	—	Zlatev
26		Andrey Toshev 1867–1944 (Lived: 76 years)	21 April 1935	23 November 1935	216 days	Independent	—	Toshev
27		Georgi Kyoseivanov 1884–1960 (Lived: 76 years)	23 November 1935	16 February 1940	4 years, 85 days	Independent	1938 1939	Kyoseivanov I–IV
28		Bogdan Filov 1883–1945 (Lived: 61 years)	16 February 1940	9 September 1943	3 years, 205 days	Independent	—	Filov I–II
—		Petar Gabrovski 1898–1945 (Lived: 46 years) Acting	9 September 1943	14 September 1943	5 days	Independent	—	Filov II
29		Dobri Bozhilov 1884–1945 (Lived: 60 years)	14 September 1943	1 June 1944	261 days	Independent	—	Bozhilov
30		Ivan Ivanov Bagryanov 1891–1945 (Lived: 53 years)	1 June 1944	2 September 1944	93 days	Independent	—	Bagryanov
31^[1]		Konstantin Muraviev 1893–1965 (Lived: 71 years)	2 September 1944	9 September 1944 (Deposed)	7 days	Bulgarian Agrarian National Union	—	Muraviev
(24)		Kimon Georgiev 1882–1969 (Lived: 87 years) 2nd time	9 September 1944	15 September 1946	2 years, 6 days	Zveno	1945	Georgiev II–III

People's Republic of Bulgaria (1946–1990)

No.	Portrait	Name (Birth–Death)	Term of office			Political party	Election	Cabinet
No.	Portrait	Name (Birth–Death)	Took office	Left office	Time in office	Political party	Election	Cabinet
Chairmen of the Council of Ministers 1946–1990
(24)		Kimon Georgiev 1882–1969 (Lived: 87 years) 2nd time	15 September 1946	23 November 1946	69 days	Zveno	—	Georgiev III
32		Georgi Dimitrov 1882–1949 (Lived: 67 years)	23 November 1946	2 July 1949†	2 years, 221 days	Bulgarian Communist Party	1946	Dimitrov I–II
33		Vasil Kolarov 1877–1950 (Lived: 72 years)	2 July 1949 Acting until 20 July 1949	23 January 1950†	205 days	Bulgarian Communist Party	1949	Kolarov I–II
34		Valko Chervenkov 1900–1980 (Lived: 80 years)	23 January 1950 Acting until 3 February 1950	17 April 1956	6 years, 85 days	Bulgarian Communist Party	1953	Chervenkov
35		Anton Yugov 1904–1991 (Lived: 86 years)	17 April 1956	19 November 1962	6 years, 216 days	Bulgarian Communist Party	1957	Yugov I–III
36		Todor Zhivkov 1911–1998 (Lived: 86 years)	19 November 1962	7 July 1971	8 years, 230 days	Bulgarian Communist Party	1962 1966	Zhivkov I–II
37		Stanko Todorov 1920–1996 (Lived: 76 years)	7 July 1971	16 June 1981	9 years, 344 days	Bulgarian Communist Party	1971 1976	Todorov I–II
38		Grisha Filipov 1919–1994 (Lived: 75 years)	16 June 1981	21 March 1986	4 years, 278 days	Bulgarian Communist Party	1981	Filipov
39		Georgi Atanasov 1933–2022 (Lived: 88 years)	21 March 1986	3 February 1990	3 years, 319 days	Bulgarian Communist Party	1986	Atanasov
40		Andrey Lukanov 1938–1996 (Lived: 58 years)	3 February 1990	15 November 1990	285 days	Bulgarian Communist Party	—	Lukanov I–II
(40)		Andrey Lukanov 1938–1996 (Lived: 58 years)	3 February 1990	15 November 1990	285 days	Bulgarian Socialist Party	—	Lukanov I–II

Republic of Bulgaria (1990–present)

No.	Portrait	Name (Birth–Death)	Term of office			Political party	Election	Cabinet
No.	Portrait	Name (Birth–Death)	Took office	Left office	Time in office	Political party	Election	Cabinet
Chairmen of the Council of Ministers 1990–1991
(40)		Andrey Lukanov 1938–1996 (Lived: 58 years)	15 November 1990	7 December 1990	22 days	Bulgarian Socialist Party	—	Lukanov II
41		Dimitar Popov 1927–2015 (Lived: 88 years)	7 December 1990	8 November 1991	336 days	Independent	1990	Popov
Prime Ministers 1991–onwards
42		Philip Dimitrov Born 1955 (69 years old)	8 November 1991	30 December 1992	1 year, 52 days	Union of Democratic Forces	1991	Dimitrov
43		Lyuben Berov 1925–2006 (Lived: 81 years)	30 December 1992	17 October 1994	1 year, 291 days	Independent supported by Movement for Rights and Freedoms	—	Berov
44		Reneta Indzhova Born 1953 (70 years old)	17 October 1994	25 January 1995	100 days	Independent	—	Indzhova ^{[lower-alpha 1]}
45		Zhan Videnov Born 1959 (65 years old)	25 January 1995	13 February 1997	2 years, 19 days	Bulgarian Socialist Party	1994	Videnov
46		Stefan Sofiyanski Born 1951 (72 years old)	13 February 1997	21 May 1997	97 days	Union of Democratic Forces	—	Sofiyanski ^{[lower-alpha 2]}
47		Ivan Kostov Born 1949 (74 years old)	21 May 1997	24 July 2001	4 years, 64 days	Union of Democratic Forces	1997	Kostov
48		Simeon Sakskoburggotski Born 1937 (86 years old)	24 July 2001	17 August 2005	4 years, 24 days	National Movement Simeon II	2001	Sakskoburggotski
49		Sergey Stanishev Born 1966 (58 years old)	17 August 2005	27 July 2009	3 years, 344 days	Bulgarian Socialist Party	2005	Stanishev
50		Boyko Borisov Born 1959 (64 years old)	27 July 2009	13 March 2013	3 years, 229 days	GERB	2009	Borisov I
51		Marin Raykov Born 1960 (63 years old)	13 March 2013	29 May 2013	77 days	Independent	—	Raykov ^{[lower-alpha 3]}
52		Plamen Oresharski Born 1960 (64 years old)	29 May 2013	6 August 2014	1 year, 69 days	Independent supported by Bulgarian Socialist Party	2013	Oresharski
53		Georgi Bliznashki Born 1956 (67 years old)	6 August 2014	7 November 2014	93 days	Independent	—	Bliznashki ^{[lower-alpha 4]}
(50)		Boyko Borisov Born 1959 (64 years old) 2nd time	7 November 2014	27 January 2017	2 years, 81 days	GERB	2014	Borisov II
54		Ognyan Gerdzhikov Born 1946 (78 years old)	27 January 2017	4 May 2017	97 days	Independent	—	Gerdzhikov ^{[lower-alpha 5]}
(50)		Boyko Borisov Born 1959 (64 years old) 3rd time	4 May 2017	12 May 2021	4 years, 8 days	GERB	2017	Borisov III
55		Stefan Yanev Born 1960 (64 years old)	12 May 2021	13 December 2021	215 days	Independent	2021 (Apr) 2021 (Jul)	Yanev I ^{[lower-alpha 6]}-II ^{[lower-alpha 7]}
56		Kiril Petkov Born 1980 (44 years old)	13 December 2021	1 August 2022	231 days	We Continue the Change	2021 (Nov)	Petkov
57		Galab Donev Born 1967 (57 years old)	2 August 2022	6 June 2023	308 days	Independent	— 2022	Donev I ^{[lower-alpha 8]}-II ^{[lower-alpha 9]}
58		Nikolay Denkov Born 1962 (61 years old)	6 June 2023	9 April 2024	308 days	We Continue the Change	2023	Denkov
—		Dimitar Glavchev Born 1963 (60 years old) Caretaker^[2]^[3]^[4]	9 April 2024	Incumbent	41 days	Independent	—	Glavchev ^{[lower-alpha 10]}

↑ Interim government, appointed by president Zhelyu Zhelev, following the resignation of Lyuben Berov
↑ Interim government, appointed by president Petar Stoyanov, following the resignation of Zhan Videnov
↑ Interim government, appointed by president Rosen Plevneliev, following the resignation of Boyko Borisov
↑ Interim government, appointed by president Rosen Plevneliev, following the resignation of Plamen Oresharski
↑ Interim government, appointed by president Rumen Radev, following the resignation of Boyko Borisov
↑ Interim government, appointed by president Rumen Radev, when no party was able to form a government in the 45th National Assembly
↑ Interim government, appointed by president Rumen Radev, when no party was able to form a government in the 46th National Assembly
↑ Interim government, appointed by president Rumen Radev, following the resignation of Kiril Petkov
↑ Interim government, appointed by president Rumen Radev, when no party was able to form a government in the 48th National Assembly
↑ Interim government, appointed by president Rumen Radev, following the resignation of Nikolay Denkov

Timeline

Principality of Bulgaria

Kingdom of Bulgaria

People's Republic of Bulgaria

Republic of Bulgaria

Footnotes

↑ Johann Casimir Ehrnrooth was appointed by Prince Alexander I to preside over the election. Ehrnrooth was not elected by the Grand National Assembly.
↑ Leonid Sobolev was appointed by Prince Alexander I during his authoritarian regime. Sobolev was not elected by the National Assembly.

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References

↑ Ilcho Dimitrov; Professor Bogdan Filov and his diary; 1990; "During the 65 years of the existence of the Bulgarian [monarchy], the post of Prime minister was held by 29 persons (excluding the two Russian generals Ehrnrooth and Sobolev)." (in Bulgarian)
↑ https://www.parliament.bg/bg/const
↑ https://sofiaglobe.com/2024/04/05/bulgarias-caretaker-pm-designate-glavchev-presents-nominees-for-interim-government/
↑ https://www.bta.bg/en/news/bulgaria/648180-caretaker-prime-minister-dimitar-glavchev

v t e Prime ministers of Bulgaria
List of heads of government of Bulgaria
Principality	Burmov Turnovski D. Tsankov Karavelov Ehrnrooth Sobolev D. Tsankov Karavelov Turnovski Karavelov Radoslavov Stoilov Stambolov Stoilov Grekov Ivanchov Petrov Karavelov Danev Petrov Petkov Stanchov Gudev Malinov
Tsardom	Malinov Geshov Danev Radoslavov Malinov Teodorov Stamboliyski A. Tsankov Lyapchev Malinov Mushanov Georgiev Zlatev Toshev Kyoseivanov Filov Gabrovski Bozhilov Bagryanov Muraviev Georgiev
People's Republic	G. Dimitrov Kolarov Chervenkov Yugov Zhivkov Todorov Filipov Atanasov Lukanov
Republic	Popov P. Dimitrov Berov Indzhova Videnov Sofiyanski Kostov Saxe-Coburg-Gotha Stanishev Borisov Raykov Oresharski Bliznashki Borisov Gerdzhikov Borisov Yanev Petkov Donev Denkov Glavchev
Italics indicate interim officeholders.