| Nov 1989 | The Bulgarian Communist government fell. |
| Jun 10, 1990 | Reformed Communists won the national elections. International observers report that while the election was valid, intimidation played a role. Local party officials threatened Gypsies, conscripts, the elderly and others with a loss of pensions, apartments or jobs if they did not vote socialist. There were also reports of vote-selling by Gypsies. |
| Jul 1990 | The Democratic Roma Union, an organization which defends the social, cultural and political rights of Gypsies, was denied recognition as a political party. The Supreme Court upheld the decision. |
| Nov 16, 1990 | A man identified as a Gypsy threw a home-made bomb into a crowded bus in central Bulgaria. The area had been the scene of several stone-throwing battles involving locals and Gypsies over the past months. |
| Nov 29, 1990 | During a nationwide protest against the government's inability to deal with food and energy shortages, there were reports of Gypsies blocking railways and robbing stranded freight cars. |
| Aug 1992 | At least eight Roma groups were pressing for equal participation by their community in the social, economic and political life of the country. The arrest of a petty thief sparked clashes between police and Gypsies in which a bystander was killed by a stray bullet, several Gypsies were wounded and a policeman was badly beaten. |
| Aug 10, 1992 | Bulgarian officials accused Gypsies of stealing copper from their phone and power lines in order to sell it for scrap metal. |
| Nov 1992 | A police attack on a Gypsy neighborhood in Pazarzhik occurred. Medical professionals refused to provide Gypsies with the documents they needed after the attack to substantiate their injuries, making it difficult for the victims to seek redress. Gypsies also found it impossible to obtain lawyers to plead their cases. |
| Apr 1993 | More than 50 police officers forcibly entered a number of houses without search warrants in the Gypsy community in the town of Novipazer in search of suspected criminals. Witnesses reported that the police indiscriminately beat men, women and children of the Gypsy community. |
| Feb 1994 | The 1993 U.S. State Department's Country Reports on Human Rights Practices reported an increase in human rights violations, xenophobia, nationalism and anti-ethnic expression against Gypsies in Bulgaria in 1993. They also reported that there were few government investigations of these incidents. These incidents included: Gypsies being beaten by skinheads and other racist groups; unsubstantiated reports of police sexually abusing Gypsy minors; and difficulties for Gypsies in applying for social benefits. Inhabitants of the village of Dolono Belotints launched a series of attacks on some 20 local Roma families after a Roma Army deserter allegedly murdered one of the villagers. |
| May 30, 1994 | Extreme nationalists who had been keeping a low profile recently stepped up their activities with small rallies and low-key threats toward Bulgaria's Gypsy and ethnic Turkish communities. |
| Mar 15, 1995 | The 1994 U.S. Department of State's Country Reports on Human Rights Practices noted that in Bulgaria: there were allegations of police abuse of Roma during 1994; there was an increase in attacks against Roma by private citizens, especially skinheads; the government's Ministry of Education continued its program to introduce Roma language textbooks and provide Roma language training for teachers in schools with Roma children; and some Roma policemen were hired in some villages. |
| Mar 1996 | The Department of State report on issues of human rights in Bulgaria observes that Bulgarian Roma are socially discriminated. They encounter difficulties applying for social benefits, and rural Roma are discouraged from claiming land to which they are entitled under the law disbanding agricultural collectives. To the extent that the report addresses issues of political discrimination, it is said that Romani groups in Bulgaria continue to be divided among themselves although several groups had some success presenting Romani issues to the Government. The report pays special attention to problems of cultural discrimination of the Roma population. It is said that the quality of education offered to Romani children is inferior to that afforded to most other Bulgarian students. The report notes that the Government took some steps to address the problems faced by Roma. Among them the report mentions the continuing program introducing Romani-language schoolbooks into schools with Romani populations. (Department of State) |
| Nov 4, 1996 | Mr Petar Stoyanov, a pro-reform lawyer, is confirmed as victor in Bulgaria's presidential election, sweeping aside his Socialist opponent, whose party forms the government. (Financial Times) |
| Dec 23, 1996 | The New York Times comments on the increasingly worsening economic situation in Bulgaria under the socialist government of Jean Videnov. It is said that schools, hospitals and residencies are in shortage of heating; inflation is expected to top 30% by the end of the year; the currency has fallen from 70 leva to the American dollar to a low of 550. Under Mr. Videnov's two-year stewardship, - the New York Times comments, - Bulgaria's economy has gone into a free fall. The situation is also worsening because the International Monetary Fund has frozen $582 million in badly needed loans for the Government's refusal to carry out reforms. IMF has insisted that in order for Bulgaria to qualify for new loans, the Government must agree to the introduction of a currency board.(The New York Times) |
| 1997 | A bulletin by the European Roma Right Center in Budapest notes, that in recent years the Bulgarian Roma face increasing problems. In the political sphere, Roma are discriminated against by the constitutional ban on formation of political organizations on ethnic grounds (Article 11.4). Their civil rights are violated in labor, education and social policies. In addition, there are negative attitudes in society with respect to Roma. There are also occasional accidents of skinheads beating innocent Roma on the streets. Media plays an important role in labeling Roma population as criminals. The police reinforces such stereotypes by publishing statistics about increasing Roma crime'. Physical force is used to produce confessions' from Roma - particularly where the detainee has a criminal record.(European Roma Right Center) |
| 1997 | Roma from North East Bulgaria (Isperih) found political party - Democratic Congress. The party is headed by Ramadan Rashid. It has only a local significance and its social base is the Turkish Roma of Bulgaria. (ERRC - Bulgarian section) |
| Jan 11, 1997 | Demonstrators break through police line and storm Bulgarian Parliament in Sofia. Demonstrators demand early elections and halt to inflation and rampant crime.(Philadelphia Inquirer) |
| Jan 13, 1997 | Tens of thousands of angry anti-Government demonstrators cram in front of the flood-lit Orthodox cathedral demanding early elections and an end to the worst economic crisis in Eastern Europe since the end of Communism. (The New York Times) |
| Jan 14, 1997 | Thousands of Bulgarians, frustrated by the extremely bad economic situation in the country take to the streets to try to remove the Government. The Government agrees to the protesters' main demand of early elections. New elections will be held this year,(1997). (The New York Times) |
| Jan 20, 1997 | The new President of Bulgaria, Petar Stoyanov, was sworn in.(The New York Times) |
| Jan 30, 1997 | The ruling Socialist Party, facing mass protests and a collapsing economy, appeals today for talks with opposition parties to set a date for early parliamentary elections.(The New York Times) |
| Feb 5, 1997 | After 30 days of mass street protests the governing Socialists cave in to opposition demands and agree to general elections by April 20. The Socialists were to present their new cabinet, which was to replace the cabinet of Jean Videnov, the former Socialist Prime minister, who resigned on Dec.21. Under the constitution, the President must appoint a caretaker cabinet whose main role will be to organize the polls.(The New York Times) |
| Feb 7, 1997 | Bulgaria's Socialists, resentful about having to give up power and submit to early elections, boycott Parliament, obstructing attempts to improve the country's devastated economy.(The New York Times) |
| Feb 7, 1997 | New prices take effect in the country. The cost of bread goes up 30 percent and gasoline rises 65 percent. As a result, many stores reopen. They have been closed for days in anticipation of the price increases, or because their shelves were emptied in panic buying.(The New York Times) |
| Apr 20, 1997 | Bulgarians vote for a new Parliament and are expected to deal the Socialists, the party of the former Communists, a crushing defeat after a period of economic misery. At stake are 240 seats in Parliament to be distributed among an anti-Communist coalition called the United Democratic Forces, the Socialists and three smaller parties, including a mainly Turkish group. Bulgaria's poor economy coupled with a drain on currency reserves has pushed inflation up to 300 percent by the end of last year, reducing minimum wages and pensions far below subsistence levels.(The New York Times) |
| Apr 21, 1997 | An anti-communist alliance wins a victory in weekend elections and will have to impose speedy and unpopular reforms to drag the country out of stagnation and economic misery. Dominique Colomberg, head of a delegation of international observers, says that the elections have set the stage for badly needed economic reforms. Ivan Kostov , the next prime-minister of Bulgaria pledges a war on organized crime, saying that "in 1996, state revenue losses due to activities among the financial mafia can be estimated at around one billion dollars." 14 large Bulgarian banks that have gone under in 1996 had made unguaranteed loans to shady businessmen that were never repaid.(Newsday) |
| Jun 3, 1998 | The National report on human development in Bulgaria in 1997", a document disseminated on 1st June at the two-day conference on human rights in Bulgaria, held under the aegis of the UN representation in the country, observes that police violence, discrimination against minorities, primarily the Roma minority, state interference with the freedom of religion, and inadmissible conditions in prisons, are the typical violations of human rights in Bulgaria in 1997. Human rights are being violated systematically because of the lack of an efficient judicial system. The report presents the HDI index, which measures human development. It utilizes data related to the GDP per capita, the access to education, and life expectancy. The index proves a significant decrease during the 1993-96 period because of the lower GDP and the limited access to education.(BBC) |
| Dec 1998 | Bulgarian Roma register the Association Evro-Roma. There is no evidence on whether the Association is registered as a party. Its head is Tsvetelin Kanchev, a businessman ethnic Bulgarian with Roma identity, who speaks Romani language and who is a depute from the Euro-Left. The Association has signed an electoral agreement with the Movement for Rights and Freedom, the political representation of the Bulgarian Turks. The Association also shows interest in electoral coalitions withe the Euro-Left. (ERRC - Bulgarian section) |
| 1999 | Roma from South East Bulgaria (Sliven) found Bulgarian party Future. It is headed by Rusi Golemanov, a layer. The party is expected to demonstrate pro-Socialist orientation. (ERRC - Bulgarian section) |
| 1999 | Bulgarian Roma found party - Free Bulgaria. The party demonstrates pro-Governmental orientation (SDS) and it has strong business interests. The party is headed by Angel Rashkov.. (ERRC - Bulgarian section) |
| 1999 | Bulgarian Roma register Party for Democratic Development. Its head is Ivan Kirov, however its founding father is Zhoro the Black, known for his ties with suspicious circles of the Bulgarian business. (ERRC - Bulgarian section) |
