1938: Bulgaria

The year 1938 brought with it two important changes in Bulgaria's political life: the restitution of some beginnings of democracy in her internal life, and the abolition of all the restrictive military clauses of the Peace Treaty of Neuilly. On May 22 a new Parliamentary session was opened in Sofia, after the last Parliament had been dissolved in May 1934, as the result of a successful military coup which established an undisguised dictatorial régime. The new Parliament, which counts only 160 members, does not recognize any parties, the deputies are seated according to the provinces which elected them and not according to their political or social convictions. About 100 deputies support the Prime Minister Kiusseivanoff. In his opening speech the Prime Minister stressed the fact that Bulgaria had no desire for any authoritarian government and wished to remain faithful to democratic ideals. In spite of this declaration the situation of the opposition in Parliament has been made most difficult.

More successful was the Government in its foreign policy. On July 31 Bulgaria signed a non-aggression pact with the Balkan Entente, which is composed of Greece, Turkey, Yugoslavia and Rumania. This Pact of Salonica abolished the restrictions imposed upon Bulgaria's army and armaments by the Peace Treaties. Bulgaria received complete liberty to carry through her rearmament. Bulgaria, which had already promised in her pact with Yugoslavia in 1937 not to apply force for the ratification of her frontiers, now repeated this promise for the benefit of all her neighbors. But the Pact of Salonica did not remove the essential territorial grievances of Bulgaria. She not only desires the rectification of her frontiers with Yugoslavia, and with Rumania where she claims the restitution of the Dobruja, but above all she demands an exit to the Aegean Sea from which she is at present barred by Greece and Turkey. The situation of the Bulgarian minorities in Macedonia and Dobruja leaves much to be desired from the Bulgarian point of view. Thus towards the end of the year numerous demonstrations took place in Bulgaria demanding a rectification of the frontiers.