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Party regulation and the conditioning of small political parties: evidence from Bulgaria

Since the fall of communism and the transition to democracy all East-European states have transitioned to multiparty democracies. However, the legal frameworks within which parties function differ substantially among countries. Some countries embrace diversity without posing obstacles to mobilisation on ethnic grounds, for example, while others prohibit the establishment and existence of parties of ethnic ideology. Here, we study how Bulgarian parties are regulated through the Party Law, the Electoral Law and the Constitution. In particular, we look at the requirements for setting up of political parties and the type, quantity and allocation mechanisms of public funding and trace the effect that these and other factors have had on the development of the current party system. Empirically, we examine the fate of small political parties. Our main conclusion is that the introduction of institutions such as an electoral deposit, considerably decrease the number of minor political parties.