ABSTRACT
This entry examines the principal features of Bulgaria's public administration from a combined structural and process-based perspective, with a view to providing a better understanding of the interactions among legal structures, public service and administrative culture, and the system of policy making. The main objective is to move beyond an empirical investigation of the case toward providing insight into the broader context of European governance and the societal framework within which it is embedded.The Bulgarian public sector has undergone major changes since 1989. The macropolitical context of its evolution is shaped by trends common to most postindustrial systems, the postcommunist transition and Euro-Atlantic integration of Eastern Europe, and the globalization of information and communication technologies in the delivery of public services. All these factors determine a transformational mode for Bulgaria's public administration, implemented as a process of public administration reform. Analysis traces the legal framework, key actors, and principal dimensions of policy making in the context of Bulgaria's membership in the European Union (EU). It finds that public administration operates in a volatile domestic political environment. Policy outcomes are characterized by high variation in economic indicators, large socioeconomic disparities, inadequate budget performance and revenue collection, and a growing need to increase public debt. Collectively, the socio-demographic and legitimacy challenges to the system of public administration require continued structural reform in the regulatory environment, infrastructure, and sectoral policies. The established modalities of Bulgarian policy making suggest that policy reform will remain highly dependent on interaction with and support from the EU institutions.
