Public administration and governance : Bulgaria, 2023

Bulgaria's overall government effectiveness of -0.27 remained far below the average score of the 27 European Union Member States (EU-27). This is the third consecutive negative score since 2020. The period following the outbreak of the COVID-19 crisis was characterised by political instability, with short-lived governments, caretaker cabinets whose policy implementation was often contested, and limited time in office to implement new policy initiatives. In the first half of 2023, the central government administration was brought to a near standstill under a caretaker cabinet with limited functions and competence and not subject to parliamentary control or political responsibility. It focused on routine operational matters, leaving strategic decisions to future elected governments. The political instability triggered a major change in the Constitution in December 2023, intended to eliminate the legislative vacuum in Bulgaria around elections. When selecting a caretaker prime minister, a president will be confined in their choice to the parliamentary chair, the chair of the Court of Audit, the Ombudsman, and the governor of the Bulgarian National Bank. Should that choice fail, the parliament will appoint a caretaker cabinet. The government appointed after June 2023 elections had planned reforms in six areas of central government administration: policy making and strategic planning; digitalisation of government; the civil service; transparency and combating corruption; regulatory policy; and reducing the administrative burden. This marks a positive change for public administration and governance priorities compared to the stagnation in recent years.