Ministry of Interior (Bulgaria)
| Mинистерство на вътрешните работи | |
 Ministry of Internal Affairs building in Sofia | |
| Agency overview | |
|---|---|
| Formed | 1879 |
| Jurisdiction | Bulgaria |
| Agency executive |
|
| Parent agency | Council of Ministers |
| Website | http://www.mvr.bg/en |
The Ministry of Interior (Bulgarian: Mинистерство на вътрешните работи, Ministerstvo na vutreshnite raboti, abbreviated МВР, MVR) of the Republic of Bulgaria is the ministry charged with the national security and the upholding of law and order in the country.
The ministry was established in 1879 under Knyaz Alexander of Battenberg with the first prime minister and interior minister of what was then the autonomous Principality of Bulgaria being Todor Burmov.
The current Minister of Interior in the third cabinet of Boyko Borisov III is Mladen Marinov, who previously served as the chief of the Sofia police department (SDVR) and as Chief Secretary of the Ministry.
Organisation
The Ministry is headed by the Minister of Interior Affairs. The position is considered a power appointment and in the modern Bulgarian history (both during the Socialist period and in the post-1989 democratic period) the Minister is also a Deputy Prime Minister. The Deputy Ministers and a Parliament Secretary form his Political Cabinet along with the Chief of the Political Cabinet.
The professional head of the Ministry's operational agencies is the Chief Secretary of the Ministry of Interior (Bulgarian: Главен секретар на МВР). This is simultaneously a position and the highest officer rank within the Ministry. The role and rank of the Chief Secretary is similar to those of the Chief of Defence within the Bulgarian Ministry of Defence. Three times (and current as of 2019) Prime Minister Boyko Borisov has started his political career after his tenure as Chief Secretary. The head of the Ministry's civil servants is the Administrative Secretary of the Ministry of Interior (Bulgarian: Административен секретар на МВР), responsible for human resources, budget planning, real estates of the Ministry, public relations etc. The rest of organisations within the Ministry (the Academy, the Medical Service, the Scientific Studies Institute of Criminology, the Institute of Psychology, the CIS Directorate, internal affairs, financial comptrollers, international cooperation etc.) are directly subordinated to the Minister.
Bulgaria is a unitary state composed of 28 provinces - the capital city of Sofia (an oblast in its own right) and 27 oblasts. The agencies within the Ministry (called Main Directorates and Directorates) are organised at national level under the Chief Secretary. There is also an Oblast Directorate of the Ministry of Interior Affairs (abbreviated ODMVR and followed by the name of the province) within each of the provinces (called oblasts). The only exception is the city of Sofia. Due to its status as the nation's capital, economic powerhouse, most highly and densely populated city and for traditional reasons the Sofia equivalent of the 27 ODMVRs is actually called SDVR, which stands for Capital Directorate for Interior Affairs. These regional departments are also ultimately subordinated to the Chief Secretary. The 27 ODMVRs range in manpower from about 400 (of ODMVR Silistra) to a little over 1 900 (of ODMVR Plovdiv) police officers and civil servants. They are dwarfed by the SDVR of the capital Sofia with its almost 5 100 police officers and civil servants (the ODMVR Sofia, which covers the province around, but excluding the city itself, counts a total of 1 030).
Operational agencies under the Chief Secretary
Specialised Force for Combating Terrorism
The SOBT (Bulgarian: Специализиран отряд за Борба с тероризма, СОБТ) is the country's premier counter-terror unit. It consists of roughly 150 operatives and staff and support personnel. It is located near the former royal residence in the Vrana area at the outskirts of the capital Sofia. The Force is directly subordinated to the Minister and engages in the most complicated cases. Most of the other agencies within the ministry have their own SWAT teams and the occasions in which the SOBT has been deployed in operations have decreased in the 21st century. The Force trains regularly with the special forces of the Bulgarian Army, the SWAT teams of the Sofia Police Department (SDVR), the Main Directorate "Combat Against The Organised Crime" (GDBOP), the Gendarmery, the Border Police and teams of the Attorney General's Office, as well as similar foreign CT units, such as the French RAID, the German GSG 9 etc.
Main Directorate "National Police"
The Main Directorate "National Police" (Bulgarian: Главна дирекция "Национална полиция", ГДНП) is the nations's primary law enforcement organisation. It includes various services, such as Security Police, Criminal Police, Transport Police, Traffic Police etc. It also includes the Gendarmery Directorate as its main militarised arm for riot control, security of critical infrastructure of national importance, such as nuclear power plants, ports, pipelines, foreign embassies and diplomatic missions in the Republic of Bulgaria. The National Police is organised in central departments under the Main Directorate in Sofia and 28 provincial departments. The Gendarmery does not follow that model, instead it is organised in a small central apparatus and 8 Zonal Gendarmery Departments, covering multiple provinces.
- Director of MDNP
- "Criminal Contingent and Prevention" Sector
- "Operational Analysis Centre" Sector
- "Expert-Criminalistic Activities" Sector
- Deputy Director of MDNP in charge of
- Criminal Police
- Economic Police
- Deputy Director of MDNP in charge of
- Investigative Department
- Department for Methodic Guidance of Investigations
- Deputy Director of MDNP in charge of
- Security Police
- Traffic Police
- Directorate “Gendarmery”
- Director of Gendarmery
- services directly subordinated to the Director
- Zonal Gendarmery Department Sofia
- Zonal Gendarmery Department Montana
- Zonal Gendarmery Department Pleven
- Zonal Gendarmery Department Gorna Oryahovitsa
- Zonal Gendarmery Department Varna
- Zonal Gendarmery Department Burgas
- Zonal Gendarmery Department Plovdiv
- Zonal Gendarmery Department Kardzhali
- Director of Gendarmery
Main Directorate "Combat Against The Organised Crime"
The Main Directorate is tasked with the prevention of serious crimes such as drug trafficking, human trafficking, abductions etc. Due to its purpose it is also colloquially known as the anti-Mafia service.
Main Directorate "Border Police"
The Main Directorate "Border Police" is responsible for the security of the border crossings and the prevention of illegal entering of the territory of the Republic of Bulgaria. The service does not carry law enforcement tasks in the interior of the country, however, operating highly sophisticated land-based surveillance equipment, helicopters and sea and riverine patrol craft, the Border Police is regularly engaged in search and rescue operations for missing persons and pursuit of dangerous criminals in a supporting capacity.
- Director of Border Police
- services directly subordinated to the Director
- Regional Directorate "Border Police" - Airports (Sofia)
- Border Police HQ Sofia IAP
- Border Police HQ Plovdiv IAP
- Border Police HQ Varna IAP
- Border Police HQ Burgas IAP
- Regional Directorate "Border Police" - Ruse
- Border Police Ships Base - Vidin
- Regional Directorate "Border Police" - Burgas
- Border Police Ships Base - Sozopol
- Regional Directorate "Border Police" - Elhovo
- Regional Directorate "Border Police" - Smolyan
- Regional Directorate "Border Police" - Kyustendil
- Regional Directorate "Border Police" - Dragoman
- Specialised Aerial Surveillance Unit (Sofia IAP)
- Sofia (Aviation) Base - 1 x AgustaWestland AW139, 3 x AgustaWestland AW109P
- Bezmer (Aviation) Base - helicopters on temporary deployment from Sofia Base
Main Directorate "Fire Safety and Civil Protection"
The Main Directorate (Bulgarian: Главна дирекция "Пожарна безопасност и защита на населението") is responsible for fire-fighting, reaction to natural disasters, emergency situations and rescue operations. The Civil Protection portfolio was for a long time under the Ministry of Defence. The Stanishev Government has combined the MIA's fire-fighting service, the MoD's civil protection service and the wartime stocks agency of the Council of Ministers into a new "mega" Ministry of Emergency Situations. The new ministry was later dissolved, with the fire fighters returning under the MIA and the wartime stocks administration returning to the oversight of the Council of Ministers. Civil Protection was retained merged with the Fire Protection Service and joined the MIA. The Main Directorate consists of departments directly under the DIrector of the service and 28 territorial departments (the Capital Directorate for Fire Safety and Civil Protection in Sofia and 27 Regional Directorates for Fire Safety and Civil Protection
in each of the 27 oblasts).
List of ministers
| No. | Name (Birth–Death) |
Portrait | Took office | Left office | Political party |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ministers of Interior (1879–1912) | |||||
| 1 | Todor Burmov (1834–1906) |
 |
17 July 1879 | 6 December 1879 | Conservative Party |
| 2 | Dimitar Grekov (1847–1901) |
 |
6 December 1879 | 11 December 1879 | Conservative Party |
| style="background-color:Template:Independent (politician)/meta/color" | 3 | Vladimir Rogge (1843–1906) |
 |
11 December 1879 | 31 January 1880 | Non-party |
| 4 | Todor Ikonomov (1835–1892) |
 |
31 January 1880 | 7 April 1880 | Conservative Party |
| 5 | Georgi Tishev (1848–1926) |
|
7 April 1880 | 10 December 1880 | Liberal Party |
| 6 | Dragan Tsankov (1828–1911) |
 |
10 December 1880 | 29 December 1880 | Liberal Party |
| 7 | Petko Slaveykov (1827–1895) |
 |
29 December 1880 | 9 May 1881 | Liberal Party |
| style="background:Template:Military Rule/meta/color; color:black;"| 8 | Johann Casimir Ehrnrooth (1833–1913) |
 |
9 May 1881 | 13 July 1881 | Imperial Russian Army |
| style="background:Template:Military Rule/meta/color; color:black;"| 9 | Arnold Remlingen (1841–1900) |
|
13 July 1881 | 12 January 1882 | Imperial Russian Army |
| 10 | Grigor Nachovich (1845–1920) |
 |
12 January 1882 | 5 July 1882 | Conservative Party |
| style="background:Template:Military Rule/meta/color; color:black;"| 11 | Leonid Sobolev (1844–1913) |
 |
5 July 1882 | 16 April 1883 | Imperial Russian Army |
| style="background-color:Template:Independent (politician)/meta/color" | 12 | Nestor Markov (1836–1916) |
 |
16 April 1883 | 15 August 1883 | Non-party |
| style="background:Template:Military Rule/meta/color; color:black;"| (11) | Leonid Sobolev (1844–1913) (2nd time) |
|
15 August 1883 | 19 September 1883 | Imperial Russian Army |
| (6) | Dragan Tsankov (1828–1911) (2nd time) |
|
19 September 1883 | 11 July 1884 | Progressive Liberal Party |
| (7) | Petko Slaveykov (1827–1895) (2nd time) |
|
11 July 1884 | 12 February 1885 | Liberal Party |
| 13 | Nikola Suknarov (1849–1894) |
|
12 February 1885 | 2 April 1885 | Liberal Party |
| 14 | Petko Karavelov (1843–1903) |
 |
2 April 1885 | 21 August 1886 | Liberal Party |
| (6) | Dragan Tsankov (1828–1911) (3rd time) |
|
21 August 1886 | 24 August 1886 | Progressive Liberal Party |
| 15 | Vasil Radoslavov (1854–1929) |
 |
24 August 1886 | 10 July 1887 | Liberal Party (Radoslavists) |
| 16 | Georgi Stranski (1847–1904) |
 |
10 July 1887 | 1 September 1887 | People's Liberal Party |
| 17 | Stefan Stambolov (1854–1895) |
 |
1 September 1887 | 31 May 1894 | People's Liberal Party |
| 18 | Konstantin Stoilov (1853–1901) |
 |
31 May 1894 | 13 November 1896 | People's Party |
| 19 | Nayden Benev (1857–1909) |
 |
13 November 1896 | 30 January 1899 | People's Party |
| (15) | Vasil Radoslavov (1854–1929) (3rd time) |
|
30 January 1899 | 10 December 1900 | Liberal Party (Radoslavists) |
| style="background-color:Template:Independent (politician)/meta/color" | 20 | Racho Petrov (1861–1942) |
 |
10 December 1900 | 4 March 1901 | Non-party |
| 21 | Mihail Sarafov (1854–1924) |
 |
4 March 1901 | 22 March 1902 | Progressive Liberal Party |
| 22 | Aleksandar Lyudskanov (1854–1922) |
|
22 March 1902 | 18 May 1903 | Progressive Liberal Party |
| 23 | Dimitar Petkov (1858–1907) |
 |
18 May 1903 | 11 March 1907 | People's Liberal Party |
| 24 | Nikola Genadiev (1868–1923) |
 |
11 March 1907 | 16 March 1907 | People's Liberal Party |
| 25 | Petar Gudev (1862–1932) |
 |
16 March 1907 | 29 January 1908 | People's Liberal Party |
| 26 | Mihail Takev (1864–1920) |
 |
29 January 1908 | 18 September 1910 | Democratic Party |
| 27 | Nikola Mushanov (1872–1951) |
 |
18 September 1910 | 29 March 1911 | Democratic Party |
| (22) | Aleksandar Lyudskanov (1854–1922) (2nd time) |
|
29 March 1911 | 14 January 1912 | Progressive Liberal Party |
| Ministers of Interior and Public Health (1912–1946) | |||||
| (22) | Aleksandar Lyudskanov (1854–1922) (2nd time) |
|
14 January 1912 | 14 June 1913 | Progressive Liberal Party |
| 28 | Mihail Madzarov (1854–1944) |
 |
14 June 1913 | 17 July 1913 | People's Party |
| (15) | Vasil Radoslavov (1854–1929) (4th time) |
|
17 July 1913 | 4 October 1915 | Liberal Party (Radoslavists) |
| 29 | Hristo Popov (1858–1951) |
|
4 October 1915 | 7 September 1916 | Liberal Party (Radoslavists) |
| (15) | Vasil Radoslavov (1854–1929) (5th time) |
|
7 September 1916 | 21 June 1918 | Liberal Party (Radoslavists) |
| (26) | Mihail Takev (1864–1920) (2nd time) |
|
21 June 1918 | 28 November 1918 | Democratic Party |
| (27) | Nikola Mushanov (1872–1951) (2nd time) |
|
28 November 1918 | 7 May 1919 | Democratic Party |
| 30 | Krastyu Pastuhov (1874–1949) |
|
7 May 1919 | 6 October 1919 | Bulgarian Social Democratic Workers Party (Broad Socialists) |
| style="background:Template:Bulgarian Agrarian People's Union/meta/color; color:white;"| 31 | Aleksandar Dimitrov (1878–1921) |
 |
6 October 1919 | 24 June 1921 | Bulgarian Agrarian National Union |
| style="background:Template:Bulgarian Agrarian People's Union/meta/color; color:white;"| 32 | Konstantin Tomov (1888–1935) |
|
24 June 1921 | 9 November 1921 | Bulgarian Agrarian National Union |
| style="background:Template:Bulgarian Agrarian People's Union/meta/color; color:white;"| 33 | Aleksandar Radolov (1883–1945) |
|
9 November 1921 | 5 January 1922 | Bulgarian Agrarian National Union |
| style="background:Template:Bulgarian Agrarian People's Union/meta/color; color:white;"| 34 | Rayko Daskalov (1886–1923) |
 |
5 January 1922 | 9 February 1923 | Bulgarian Agrarian National Union |
| style="background:Template:Bulgarian Agrarian People's Union/meta/color; color:white;"| 35 | Aleksandar Obbov (1887–1975) |
 |
9 February 1923 | 12 March 1923 | Bulgarian Agrarian National Union |
| style="background:Template:Bulgarian Agrarian People's Union/meta/color; color:white;"| 36 | Hristo Stoyanov (1892–1970) |
|
12 March 1923 | 9 June 1923 | Bulgarian Agrarian National Union |
| 37 | Ivan Rusev (1872–1945) |
 |
9 June 1923 | 4 January 1926 | Democratic Alliance |
| 38 | Andrey Lyapchev (1866–1933) |
 |
4 January 1926 | 29 June 1931 | Democratic Alliance |
| (27) | Nikola Mushanov (1872–1951) (3rd time) |
|
29 June 1931 | 12 October 1931 | Democratic Party |
| 39 | Aleksandar Girginov (1879–1953) |
|
12 October 1931 | 19 May 1934 | Democratic Party |
| 40 | Petar Midilev (1875–1939) |
|
19 May 1934 | 22 January 1935 | Zveno |
| style="background:Template:Military Rule/meta/color; color:black;"| 41 | Krum Kolev (1890–1970) |
|
22 January 1935 | 21 April 1935 | Bulgarian Army |
| style="background-color:Template:Independent (politician)/meta/color" | 42 | Rashko Atanasov (1884–1945) |
 |
21 April 1935 | 23 November 1935 | Non-party |
| style="background-color:Template:Independent (politician)/meta/color" | 43 | Georgi Sapov (1873–?) |
|
23 November 1935 | 4 July 1936 | Non-party |
| style="background-color:Template:Independent (politician)/meta/color" | 44 | Ivan Krasnovski (1882–1941) |
|
4 July 1936 | 24 January 1938 | Non-party |
| style="background-color:Template:Independent (politician)/meta/color" | 45 | Nikolay Nikolaev (1887–1961) |
|
24 January 1938 | 14 November 1938 | Non-party |
| style="background-color:Template:Independent (politician)/meta/color" | 46 | Nikola Nedev (1886–1970) |
|
14 November 1938 | 15 February 1940 | Non-party |
| style="background-color:Template:Independent (politician)/meta/color" | 47 | Petar Gabrovski (1898–1945) |
|
15 February 1940 | 14 September 1943 | Non-party |
| style="background-color:Template:Independent (politician)/meta/color" | 48 | Docho Hristov (1895–1945) |
|
14 September 1943 | 1 June 1944 | Non-party |
| style="background-color:Template:Independent (politician)/meta/color" | 49 | Aleksandar Stanishev (1886–1945) |
|
1 June 1944 | 2 September 1944 | Non-party |
| style="background:Template:Bulgarian Agrarian People's Union/meta/color; color:white;"| 50 | Vergil Dimov (1901–1979) |
|
2 September 1944 | 9 September 1944 | Bulgarian Agrarian National Union |
| style="background:Template:Bulgarian Communist Party/meta/color; color:white;"| 51 | Anton Yugov (1904–1991) |
9 September 1944 | 22 November 1946 | Bulgarian Communist Party | |
| Ministers of Interior (1946–1968) | |||||
| style="background:Template:Bulgarian Communist Party/meta/color; color:white;"| 51 | Anton Yugov (1904–1991) |
22 November 1946 | 6 August 1949 | Bulgarian Communist Party | |
| style="background:Template:Bulgarian Communist Party/meta/color; color:white;"| 52 | Rusi Hrizostov (1914–1990) |
|
6 August 1949 | 6 January 1951 | Bulgarian Communist Party |
| style="background:Template:Bulgarian Communist Party/meta/color; color:white;"| 53 | Georgi Tsankov (1913–1990) |
|
6 January 1951 | 17 March 1962 | Bulgarian Communist Party |
| style="background:Template:Bulgarian Communist Party/meta/color; color:white;"| 54 | Diko Dikov (1910–1985) |
|
17 March 1962 | 27 December 1968 | Bulgarian Communist Party |
| Minister of Interior and State Security (1968–1969) | |||||
| style="background:Template:Bulgarian Communist Party/meta/color; color:white;"| 55 | Angel Solakov (1922–1998) |
|
27 December 1968 | 27 February 1969 | Bulgarian Communist Party |
| Ministers of Interior (1969–Present) | |||||
| style="background:Template:Bulgarian Communist Party/meta/color; color:white;"| 55 | Angel Solakov (1922–1998) |
|
27 February 1969 | 9 July 1971 | Bulgarian Communist Party |
| style="background:Template:Bulgarian Communist Party/meta/color; color:white;"| 56 | Angel Tsanev (1912–2003) |
|
9 July 1971 | 7 June 1973 | Bulgarian Communist Party |
| style="background:Template:Bulgarian Communist Party/meta/color; color:white;"| 57 | Dimitar Stoyanov (1928–1999) |
|
7 June 1973 | 19 December 1988 | Bulgarian Communist Party |
| style="background:Template:Bulgarian Communist Party/meta/color; color:white;"| 58 | Georgi Tanev (1943– ) |
|
19 December 1988 | 27 December 1989 | Bulgarian Communist Party |
| style="background:Template:Bulgarian Communist Party/meta/color; color:white;"| 59 | Atanas Semerdzhiev (1924–2015) |
|
27 December 1989 | 2 August 1990 | Bulgarian Communist Party |
| style="background:Template:Bulgarian Socialist Party/meta/color; color:white;"| 60 | Stoyan Stoyanov (1945– ) |
|
2 August 1990 | 5 September 1990 | Bulgarian Socialist Party |
| style="background:Template:Bulgarian Socialist Party/meta/color; color:white;"| 61 | Pencho Penev (1947– ) |
|
5 September 1990 | 20 December 1990 | Bulgarian Socialist Party |
| style="background-color:Template:Independent (politician)/meta/color" | 62 | Hristo Danov (1922–2003) |
|
20 December 1990 | 8 November 1991 | Non-party |
| style="background:Template:Union of Democratic Forces (Bulgaria)/meta/color; color:white;"| 63 | Yordan Sokolov (1933–2016) |
|
8 November 1991 | 30 December 1992 | Union of Democratic Forces |
| style="background-color:Template:Independent (politician)/meta/color" | 64 | Viktor Mihaylov (1944– ) |
|
30 December 1992 | 17 October 1994 | Non-party |
| style="background-color:Template:Independent (politician)/meta/color" | 65 | Chavdar Chervenkov (1949– ) |
|
17 October 1994 | 26 January 1995 | Non-party |
| style="background:Template:Bulgarian Socialist Party/meta/color; color:white;"| 66 | Lyubomir Nachev (1954–2006) |
|
26 January 1995 | 10 May 1996 | Bulgarian Socialist Party |
| style="background:Template:Bulgarian Socialist Party/meta/color; color:white;"| 67 | Nikolay Dobrev (1947–1999) |
|
10 May 1996 | 12 February 1997 | Bulgarian Socialist Party |
| style="background:Template:Union of Democratic Forces (Bulgaria)/meta/color; color:white;"| 68 | Bogomil Bonev (1957– ) |
|
12 February 1997 | 21 December 1999 | Union of Democratic Forces |
| style="background:Template:Union of Democratic Forces (Bulgaria)/meta/color; color:white;"| 69 | Emanuil Yordanov (1960– ) |
|
21 December 1999 | 24 July 2001 | Union of Democratic Forces |
| style="background:Template:National Movement for Stability and Progress/meta/color;"| 70 | Georgi Petkanov (1966– ) |
|
24 July 2001 | 17 August 2005 | National Movement Simeon II |
| style="background:Template:Bulgarian Socialist Party/meta/color; color:white;"| 71 | Rumen Petkov (1961– ) |
|
17 August 2005 | 24 April 2008 | Bulgarian Socialist Party |
| style="background:Template:Bulgarian Socialist Party/meta/color; color:white;"| 72 | Mihail Mikov (1960– ) |
 |
24 April 2008 | 27 July 2009 | Bulgarian Socialist Party |
| style="background:Template:GERB/meta/color;"| 73 | Tsvetan Tsvetanov (1965– ) |
 |
27 July 2009 | 13 March 2013 | GERB |
| style="background-color:Template:Independent (politician)/meta/color" | 74 | Petya Parvanova (1960– ) |
13 March 2013 | 29 May 2013 | Non-party | |
| style="background:Template:Bulgarian Socialist Party/meta/color; color:white;"| 75 | Tsvetlin Yovchev (1964– ) |
|
29 May 2013 | 6 August 2014 | Bulgarian Socialist Party |
| style="background-color:Template:Independent (politician)/meta/color" | 76 | Yordan Bakalov (1960– ) |
|
6 August 2014 | 7 November 2014 | Non-party |
| style="background:Template:GERB/meta/color;"| 77 | Veselin Vuchkov (1968– ) |
|
7 November 2014 | 11 March 2015 | GERB |
| style="background:Template:GERB/meta/color;"| 78 | Rumyana Bachvarova (1959–) |
 |
11 March 2015 | 27 January 2017 | GERB |
| style="background:Template:GERB/meta/color;"| 80 | Valentin Radev (1958–) |
|
4 May 2017 | 20 September 2018 | GERB |
| style="background-color:Template:Independent (politician)/meta/color" | 76 | Mladen Marinov (1971–) |
|
20 September 2018 | Non-party | |
External links
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|---|---|
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