site.btaJan. 16, 1990: Communist Party, Anti-Communist Opposition Start Roundtable Talks

Thirty-five years ago Thursday, national roundtable talks between the Bulgarian Communist Party and opposition organizations started shortly after fall of Communist leader Todor Zhivkov, to end with signature of set of agreements on May 15.

It opened in the wake of a large prodemocracy demonstration and included the communist party, the Union of Democratic Forces (UDF), the Bulgarian Agrarian National Union and unaffiliated representatives.

At the talks, government and opposition charted the way forward to democracy and market economy in Bulgaria.

Some important decisions were made:

• Abolition of Article 1 of the Bulgarian Constitution, which had enshrined the leading role of the Bulgarian Communist Party in the country. Its removal was a crucial step toward political pluralism;
• Establishment of the Presidential Institution. It introduced a new head of state role, embodying the unity of the nation;
• Depoliticization of state institutions: The military, police, judiciary, and diplomatic services were depoliticized to ensure their independence from political party influence;
• Dissolution of the 6th Department of State Security Service (the political police);
• Preparation for free elections. 

The National Round Table talks were instrumental in guiding Bulgaria through a peaceful transition to democracy, laying the foundation for significant political and economic reforms in the years that followed.

One considerable downside was that it allowed limited accountability for the communist regime. Many members of the former communist elite were able to retain significant influence in the new political and economic structures.

The Bulgarian Socialist Party, the successor of the Bulgarian Communist Party, rebranded but maintained a strong presence in politics.

Also, critics argue that the reforms agreed upon during the Roundtable talks were too incremental and conservative.