The evolution of democratic civil‐military relations in Bulgaria

This article proposes a two‐level framework for analyzing the reforms of civil‐military relations in post‐Communist Bulgaria. The first level of analysis (legal/institutional), or the formal basis for civilian control, includes the new laws, procedures, and institutions that were established after the fall of Communism in 1989. Second‐level analysis (or the level of political behavior) goes beyond legal analysis and focuses on civilian and military decision‐makers and their interactions. The main second‐level variables are the attitudes and values of civilian and military officials, their conception of civilian control and their knowledge and expertise in national security. Only a two‐level analysis can account for the complexities in the civil‐military relationship and show that, while legal and institutional issues are largely solved, there are still problems related to the consolidation of democratic civilian control, some of which stem from the lack of civilians with expertise in military matters.