site.btaDemocrats Mark 35th Anniversary of Roundtable that Agreed on Free Elections in Post-Communist Bulgaria

Representatives of the democratic community marked the 35th anniversary of the first sitting of a roundtable to decide on holding free elections after the communist regime fell in Bulgaria in 1989. The first session of the roundtable took place in hall 6 of Sofia's National Palace of Culture on January 22, 1990, between representatives of the newly established United Democratic Forces (UDF) and the Bulgarian Communist Party (renamed Bulgarian Socialist Party on April 3, 1990).

The participants agreed to a Grand National Assembly, which adopted Bulgaria's new Constitution, Aleksandar Yordanov, one of the delegates at the roundtable, said in BTA's National Press Club here on Wednesday. On May 14, 2025, the National Palace of Culture will host an academic conference to discuss the role of forums such as the 1990 Roundtable as a political instrument to solve crises, which have been affecting Bulgaria lately, Yordanov added.

The Roundtable was one of the symbols of the gentle revolutions across Eastern Europe, said Dimitar Ludzhev. He added that the Roundtable encouraged the process of consolidation of various organizations in the UDF, with the union becoming the most influential political force, which had the support of more than 30% of Bulgaria's voters.

Petar Beron, chair of the Roundtable's de-ideologization committee, said: "Before this Roundtable, there were other events, rallies, marches and the founding of the UDF. So many dissidents popped up that one wonders how the communists held on to power for so many years." He said that rights that most people take for granted today had to be fought for at the Roundtable, since before that, communists used to have all the power. Beron believes that the modern UDF, which is in coalition with GERB, should change its name.

Assoc. Prof. Petko Simeonov, chair of the Club for Publicity and Democracy (formerly the Club for Support of Openness and the Reform) said that the Roundtable is one of the most significant events in the new history of Bulgaria. He added: "It was a format that confirmed the democratic forces, showed that they exist and opened the way to the development of the country on the path of democracy. Selfless people took part in the Roundtable. There was not a single participant in the processes of privatization. We were taking part in a holy cause, we knew it. We were acting conscientiously, we tried hard, and we were very responsible." Simeonov stated: "We are politically responsible for the period when we were solving national issues, not for the processes that followed."

UDF co-founder Rumen Vodenicharov said that one oversight of the Roundtable is the fact that none of its participants pointed out that Bulgaria is about to face tough economic times and that a market economy without markets is an oxymoron. Another oversight according to Vodenicharov is Bulgaria adopting a proportional electoral system.

BTA Director General Kiril Valchev presented the democratic community representatives with a printout of BTA's coverage of the forum in 1990.