Ministry of Interior (Bulgaria)

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.

Ministry of Internal Affairs of Bulgaria
Mинистерство на вътрешните работи

Ministry of Internal Affairs building in Sofia
Agency overview
Formed1879
JurisdictionBulgaria
Agency executive
  • Plamen Uzunov, Ind., Minister of Internal Affairs
Parent agencyCouncil of Ministers
Websitehttp://www.mvr.bg/en

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

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

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 18796 December 1879Conservative Party
2 Dimitar Grekov
(1847–1901)		6 December 187911 December 1879Conservative Party
3 Vladimir Rogge
(1843–1906)		11 December 187931 January 1880Non-party
4 Todor Ikonomov
(1835–1892)		31 January 18807 April 1880Conservative Party
5 Georgi Tishev
(1848–1926)		7 April 188010 December 1880Liberal Party
6 Dragan Tsankov
(1828–1911)		10 December 188029 December 1880Liberal Party
7 Petko Slaveykov
(1827–1895)		29 December 18809 May 1881Liberal Party
8 Johann Casimir Ehrnrooth
(1833–1913)		9 May 188113 July 1881Imperial Russian Army
9 Arnold Remlingen
(1841–1900)		13 July 188112 January 1882Imperial Russian Army
10 Grigor Nachovich
(1845–1920)		12 January 18825 July 1882Conservative Party
11 Leonid Sobolev
(1844–1913)		5 July 188216 April 1883Imperial Russian Army
12 Nestor Markov
(1836–1916)		16 April 188315 August 1883Non-party
(11) Leonid Sobolev
(1844–1913)
(2nd time)		15 August 188319 September 1883Imperial Russian Army
(6) Dragan Tsankov
(1828–1911)
(2nd time)		19 September 188311 July 1884Progressive Liberal Party
(7) Petko Slaveykov
(1827–1895)
(2nd time)		11 July 188412 February 1885Liberal Party
13 Nikola Suknarov
(1849–1894)		12 February 18852 April 1885Liberal Party
14 Petko Karavelov
(1843–1903)		2 April 188521 August 1886Liberal Party
(6) Dragan Tsankov
(1828–1911)
(3rd time)		21 August 188624 August 1886Progressive Liberal Party
15 Vasil Radoslavov
(1854–1929)		24 August 188610 July 1887Liberal Party (Radoslavists)
16 Georgi Stranski
(1847–1904)		10 July 18871 September 1887People's Liberal Party
17 Stefan Stambolov
(1854–1895)		1 September 188731 May 1894People's Liberal Party
18 Konstantin Stoilov
(1853–1901)		31 May 189413 November 1896People's Party
19 Nayden Benev
(1857–1909)		13 November 189630 January 1899People's Party
(15) Vasil Radoslavov
(1854–1929)
(3rd time)		30 January 189910 December 1900Liberal Party (Radoslavists)
20 Racho Petrov
(1861–1942)		10 December 19004 March 1901Non-party
21 Mihail Sarafov
(1854–1924)		4 March 190122 March 1902Progressive Liberal Party
22 Aleksandar Lyudskanov
(1854–1922)		22 March 190218 May 1903Progressive Liberal Party
23 Dimitar Petkov
(1858–1907)		18 May 190311 March 1907People's Liberal Party
24 Nikola Genadiev
(1868–1923)		11 March 190716 March 1907People's Liberal Party
25 Petar Gudev
(1862–1932)		16 March 190729 January 1908People's Liberal Party
26 Mihail Takev
(1864–1920)		29 January 190818 September 1910Democratic Party
27 Nikola Mushanov
(1872–1951)		18 September 191029 March 1911Democratic Party
(22) Aleksandar Lyudskanov
(1854–1922)
(2nd time)		29 March 191114 January 1912Progressive Liberal Party
Ministers of Interior and Public Health (1912–1946)
(22) Aleksandar Lyudskanov
(1854–1922)
(2nd time)		14 January 191214 June 1913Progressive Liberal Party
28 Mihail Madzarov
(1854–1944)		14 June 191317 July 1913People's Party
(15) Vasil Radoslavov
(1854–1929)
(4th time)		17 July 19134 October 1915Liberal Party (Radoslavists)
29 Hristo Popov
(1858–1951)		4 October 19157 September 1916Liberal Party (Radoslavists)
(15) Vasil Radoslavov
(1854–1929)
(5th time)		7 September 191621 June 1918Liberal Party (Radoslavists)
(26) Mihail Takev
(1864–1920)
(2nd time)		21 June 191828 November 1918Democratic Party
(27) Nikola Mushanov
(1872–1951)
(2nd time)		28 November 19187 May 1919Democratic Party
30 Krastyu Pastuhov
(1874–1949)		7 May 19196 October 1919Bulgarian Social Democratic Workers Party (Broad Socialists)
31 Aleksandar Dimitrov
(1878–1921)		6 October 191924 June 1921Bulgarian Agrarian National Union
32 Konstantin Tomov
(1888–1935)		24 June 19219 November 1921Bulgarian Agrarian National Union
33 Aleksandar Radolov
(1883–1945)		9 November 19215 January 1922Bulgarian Agrarian National Union
34 Rayko Daskalov
(1886–1923)		5 January 19229 February 1923Bulgarian Agrarian National Union
35 Aleksandar Obbov
(1887–1975)		9 February 192312 March 1923Bulgarian Agrarian National Union
36 Hristo Stoyanov
(1892–1970)		12 March 19239 June 1923Bulgarian Agrarian National Union
37 Ivan Rusev
(1872–1945)		9 June 19234 January 1926Democratic Alliance
38 Andrey Lyapchev
(1866–1933)		4 January 192629 June 1931Democratic Alliance
(27) Nikola Mushanov
(1872–1951)
(3rd time)		29 June 193112 October 1931Democratic Party
39 Aleksandar Girginov
(1879–1953)		12 October 193119 May 1934Democratic Party
40 Petar Midilev
(1875–1939)		19 May 193422 January 1935Zveno
41 Krum Kolev
(1890–1970)		22 January 193521 April 1935Bulgarian Army
42 Rashko Atanasov
(1884–1945)		21 April 193523 November 1935Non-party
43 Georgi Sapov
(1873–?)		23 November 19354 July 1936Non-party
44 Ivan Krasnovski
(1882–1941)		4 July 193624 January 1938Non-party
45 Nikolay Nikolaev
(1887–1961)		24 January 193814 November 1938Non-party
46 Nikola Nedev
(1886–1970)		14 November 193815 February 1940Non-party
47 Petar Gabrovski
(1898–1945)		15 February 194014 September 1943Non-party
48 Docho Hristov
(1895–1945)		14 September 19431 June 1944Non-party
49 Aleksandar Stanishev
(1886–1945)		1 June 19442 September 1944Non-party
50 Vergil Dimov
(1901–1979)		2 September 19449 September 1944Bulgarian Agrarian National Union
51 Anton Yugov
(1904–1991)		9 September 194422 November 1946Bulgarian Communist Party
Ministers of Interior (1946–1968)
51 Anton Yugov
(1904–1991)		22 November 19466 August 1949Bulgarian Communist Party
52 Rusi Hrizostov
(1914–1990)		6 August 19496 January 1951Bulgarian Communist Party
53 Georgi Tsankov
(1913–1990)		6 January 195117 March 1962Bulgarian Communist Party
54 Diko Dikov
(1910–1985)		17 March 196227 December 1968Bulgarian Communist Party
Minister of Interior and State Security (1968–1969)
55 Angel Solakov
(1922–1998)		27 December 196827 February 1969Bulgarian Communist Party
Ministers of Interior (1969–Present)
55 Angel Solakov
(1922–1998)		27 February 19699 July 1971Bulgarian Communist Party
56 Angel Tsanev
(1912–2003)		9 July 19717 June 1973Bulgarian Communist Party
57 Dimitar Stoyanov
(1928–1999)		7 June 197319 December 1988Bulgarian Communist Party
58 Georgi Tanev
(1943– )		19 December 198827 December 1989Bulgarian Communist Party
59 Atanas Semerdzhiev
(1924–2015)		27 December 19892 August 1990Bulgarian Communist Party
60 Stoyan Stoyanov
(1945– )		2 August 19905 September 1990Bulgarian Socialist Party
61 Pencho Penev
(1947– )		5 September 199020 December 1990Bulgarian Socialist Party
62 Hristo Danov
(1922–2003)		20 December 19908 November 1991Non-party
63 Yordan Sokolov
(1933–2016)		8 November 199130 December 1992Union of Democratic Forces
64 Viktor Mihaylov
(1944– )		30 December 199217 October 1994Non-party
65 Chavdar Chervenkov
(1949– )		17 October 199426 January 1995Non-party
66 Lyubomir Nachev
(1954–2006)		26 January 199510 May 1996Bulgarian Socialist Party
67 Nikolay Dobrev
(1947–1999)		10 May 199612 February 1997Bulgarian Socialist Party
68 Bogomil Bonev
(1957– )		12 February 199721 December 1999Union of Democratic Forces
69 Emanuil Yordanov
(1960– )		21 December 199924 July 2001Union of Democratic Forces
70 Georgi Petkanov
(1966– )		24 July 200117 August 2005National Movement Simeon II
71 Rumen Petkov
(1961– )		17 August 200524 April 2008Bulgarian Socialist Party
72 Mihail Mikov
(1960– )		24 April 200827 July 2009Bulgarian Socialist Party
73 Tsvetan Tsvetanov
(1965– )		27 July 200913 March 2013GERB
74 Petya Parvanova
(1960– )		13 March 201329 May 2013Non-party
75 Tsvetlin Yovchev
(1964– )		29 May 20136 August 2014Bulgarian Socialist Party
76 Yordan Bakalov
(1960– )		6 August 20147 November 2014Non-party
77 Veselin Vuchkov
(1968– )		7 November 201411 March 2015GERB
78 Rumyana Bachvarova
(1959–)		11 March 201527 January 2017GERB
80 Valentin Radev
(1958–)		4 May 201720 September 2018GERB
76 Mladen Marinov
(1971–)		20 September 2018Non-party
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