Vice President of Bulgaria
| Vice President of the Republic of Bulgaria | |
|---|---|
| Вицепрезидент на България (Bulgarian) Viceprezident na Bǎlgarija (Bulgarian Latin) | |
Incumbent since 23 January 2026Vacant | |
| Style | Excellency |
| Residence | Bojana Residence, Sofia |
| Term length | Five years, renewable once |
| Constituting instrument | Constitution of Bulgaria |
| Formation | 1 August 1990 |
| First holder | Atanas Semerdžiev |
The vice president of the Republic of Bulgaria is the principal assistant to the president of Bulgaria and the first in the line of succession to the presidency. It is the only active vice presidential office in the European Union (EU).[Note 1]
The vice president is elected by popular vote every five years alongside the president. The most recent election took place in 2021. The office has been vacant since 23 January 2026, when Iliana Iotova succeeded to the presidency upon the resignation of Rumen Radev.
Role
The primary role of the vice president is to assume the duties of the president in case of the president's death, resignation, removal from office or other incapacity. The vice president is also tasked with assisting the president in exercising official functions. The Constitution explicitly allows the president to delegate several functions including: the appointment and removal of state officials, grant and remove Bulgarian citizenship and asylum, and exercise clemency.[1]
List of vice presidents (1990–present)
Elected by parliament, 1990–1992
The following vice presidents were elected by the parliament.
| Vice Chairman (Vice President) |
Term of office | Political party | Chairman (President) | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Portrait | Name (Born–Died) |
Took office | Left office | Duration | |||
| Atanas Semerdzhiev Атанас Семерджиев (1924–2015) |
1 August 1990 | 22 January 1992 | 1 year, 174 days | Bulgarian Socialist Party | Zhelyu Zhelev | ||
Directly elected, 1992–present
The following vice-presidents were elected by the people.
| Vice President | Term of office | Political party | President | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Portrait | Name (Born–Died) |
Took office | Left office | Duration | |||
| Blaga Dimitrova Блага Димитрова (1922–2003) |
22 January 1992 | 6 July 1993 | 1 year, 165 days | Union of Democratic Forces | Zhelyu Zhelev | ||
| Vacant | 6 July 1993 | 22 January 1997 | 3 years, 200 days | Vacant | |||
| Todor Kavaldzhiev Тодор Кавалджиев (1934–2019) |
22 January 1997 | 22 January 2002 | 5 years, 0 days | United Democratic Forces | Petar Stoyanov | ||
| Angel Marin Ангел Марин (1942–2024) |
22 January 2002 | 22 January 2012 | 10 years, 0 days | Bulgarian Socialist Party | Georgi Parvanov | ||
| Margarita Popova Маргарита Попова (born 1956) |
22 January 2012 | 22 January 2017 | 5 years, 0 days | Independent / GERB | Rosen Plevneliev | ||
| Iliana Iotova Илиана Йотова (born 1964) |
22 January 2017 | 23 January 2026 | 9 years, 1 day | Bulgarian Socialist Party | Rumen Radev | ||
| Vacant | 23 January 2026 | Incumbent | 60 days | Vacant | Iliana Iotova | ||
See also
- History of Bulgaria
- Politics of Bulgaria
- List of first deputy chairmen of the State Council of Bulgaria
- List of heads of state of Bulgaria
- List of current vice presidents and designated acting presidents
Notes
- ^ Another EU member state, Cyprus, also has a post of Vice President, although since 1974 that post has remained vacant.
References
- ^ "Constitution of the Republic of Bulgaria". National Assembly of the Republic of Bulgaria. Retrieved 23 January 2026.