Editing Varna, Bulgaria (section)

== Governance ==
Varna is the administrative centre for Varna county (област, ''oblast'', area). On the other hand, Varna municipality (община, ''obshtina'', borough) comprises the city and five suburbs: [[Kamenar, Varna Province|Kamenar]], [[Kazashko]], [[Konstantinovo, Varna Province|Konstantinovo]], [[Topoli, Varna Province|Topoli]], and [[Zvezditsa, Varna Province|Zvezditsa]], served by the city public transport system.

=== Local government ===
[[File:Maritime Administration in Varna, Bulgaria.jpg|thumb|Marine Administration Varna]]

The municipal chief executive is the Mayor (кмет, ''kmet'': the word is [[cognate]] with [[count]]). Since the end of the ''de facto'' one-party communist rule in 1990, there have been four mayors: Voyno Voynov, SDS ([[Union of Democratic Forces (Bulgaria)|Union of Democratic Forces]]), ''ad interim'', 1990–91; Hristo Kirchev, SDS, 1991–99; [[Kiril Yordanov]], independent, 1999–2013; [[Ivan Portnih]], [[GERB]], 2013–2023; [[Blagomir Kotsev]], [[PP–DB]], 2023–present.

The City council (общински съвет, ''obshtinski savet'', the 51-member legislature) is the city's legislative body composed of 51 members. As of January 2015 it consists of: centre-right [[Citizens for European Development of Bulgaria]] (GERB), 22 council members; centre-right/right-wing [[Reformist Bloc]] [[Patriotic Front (Bulgaria)]], 6; centre-left [[Bulgarian Socialist Party]] (BSP), 5; "Varna" Coalition including [[Attack (political party)|Attack]], 4; other smaller parties, groups and independent members, 14.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.varna.bg/bg/articles/2866/Регистър_на_групите.html|title=Varna City Council|publisher=varna.bg|access-date=28 February 2017|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170625103648/http://varna.bg/bg/articles/2866/%D0%A0%D0%B5%D0%B3%D0%B8%D1%81%D1%82%D1%8A%D1%80_%D0%BD%D0%B0_%D0%B3%D1%80%D1%83%D0%BF%D0%B8%D1%82%D0%B5.html|archive-date=25 June 2017}}</ref>
The Council chairman is Todor Balabanov ([[GERB]]).<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.varna.bg/bg/articles/43/Ръководство.html|title=Varna City Council Chair|publisher=Varna.bg|access-date=28 February 2017|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170421081204/http://www.varna.bg/bg/articles/43/%D0%A0%D1%8A%D0%BA%D0%BE%D0%B2%D0%BE%D0%B4%D1%81%D1%82%D0%B2%D0%BE.html|archive-date=21 April 2017}}</ref>

[[File:Odessos Area,Varna.jpg|thumb|Odessos Area Building]]

Varna regional court is one of the busiest courts in the country. The city also headquarters the district, administrative, and military court, and a court of appeal as well as regional, military, and appellate prosecutor's offices.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://varna.court-bg.org/ |title=Окръжен съд Варна |publisher=Varna.court-bg.org |access-date=18 June 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090418051554/http://varna.court-bg.org/ |archive-date=18 April 2009 }}</ref>

[[File:Admiralty Varna.jpg|thumb|Bulgarian Admiralty in Varna]]

=== Boroughs and urban planning ===
The city is divided by law into five boroughs ({{langx|bg|райони|rayoni}}), each with its mayor and council: [[Asparuhovo, Varna|Asparuhovo]], Mladost, Odessos (the historic centre), Primorski (the largest one with official population of 102,000 also comprising the seaside resorts north of the city centre), and Vladislav Varchenchik. The boroughs are composed of various districts with distinctive characters and histories.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.grao.bg/tna/tab02.txt |title=Archived copy |access-date=8 June 2012 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120620194059/http://www.grao.bg/tna/tab02.txt |archive-date=20 June 2012 }}</ref> The villages too have а mayor or a mayoral lieutenant (кметски наместник, ''kmetski namestnik'').

[[File:Briz House.JPG|thumb|New housing in the Briz district]]

;List of Varna City boroughs and districts
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
! District
! Cyrillic
! Borough
! Population
|-
| [[Vladislav Varnenchik, Varna District|Vladislav Varnenchik]]
| [[:bg:Владислав Варненчик (квартал)|Владислав Варненчик]]
| [[Vladislav Varnenchik, Varna District|Vladislav Varnenchik]]
| style="text-align:right;" | 48,740
|-
| [[Kaisieva Gradina Municipality|Kaisieva Gradina (Apricot Garden)]]
| [[:bg:Кайсиева градина (квартал на Варна)|Кайсиева градина]]
| '''[[Vladislav Varnenchik, Varna District|Vladislav Varnenchik]]'''
| style="text-align:right;" | 48,740
|-
| [[Troshevo]]
| [[:bg: Трошево|Трошево]]
| '''[[Mladost, Varna|Mladost]]'''
| style="text-align:right;" | 87,256
|-
| [[Mladost, Varna|Mladost (Youth)]]
| [[:bg:Младост (квартал на Варна)|Младост]]
| '''[[Mladost, Varna|Mladost]]'''
| style="text-align:right;" | 87,256
|-
| [[Chayka (Varna)|Chayka (Seagull)]]
| [[:bg:Чайка (квартал на Варна)|Чайка]]
| '''[[Primorski (Varna)|Primorski]]'''
| style="text-align:right;" | 105,340
|-
| [[Central (Varna)|Central borough]]
| [[:bg:Център (Варна)|Център]]
| Odessos
| style="text-align:right;" | 82,784
|-
| [[Asparuhovo, Varna|Asparuhovo]]
| [[:bg:Аспарухово (квартал на Варна)|Аспарухово]]
| [[Asparuhovo (Varna)|Asparuhovo]]
| style="text-align:right;" | 27,178
|-
| [[Vinitza (neighbourhood)|Vinitza]]
| [[:bg:Виница (квартал на Варна)|Виница]]
| '''[[Primorski (Varna)|Primorski]]'''
| style="text-align:right;" | 105,340
|-
|[[Golden Sands|Zlatni pyasatsi (Golden Sands)]]
| [[:bg:Златни пясъци|Златни пясъци]]
| '''[[Primorski (Varna)|Primorski]]'''
| style="text-align:right;" | 105,340
|-
| [[Hristo Botev (Varna)|Hristo Botev]]
| [[:bg:Христо Ботев (квартал на Варна)|Христо Ботев]]
| Odessos
| style="text-align:right;" | 82,784
|-
| [[Galata (Varna)|Galata]]
| [[:bg:Галата (квартал)|Галата]]
| [[Asparuhovo (Varna)|Asparuhovo]]
| style="text-align:right;" | 27,178
|-
| [[Vazrazhdane (Revival)]]
| [[:bg:Възраждане (квартал на Варна)|Възраждане]]
| '''[[Mladost, Varna|Mladost]]'''
| style="text-align:right;" | 87,256
|-
| [[Pobeda (Varna)|Pobeda (Victory)]]
| [[:bg: Победа (квартал на Варна)|Победа]]
| '''[[Mladost, Varna|Mladost]]'''
| style="text-align:right;" | 87,256
|-
| [[Zapadna Promishlena Zona]] (West Industrial Zone)
| [[:bg:Западна промишлена зона (Варна)|Западна промишлена зона]]
| '''[[Mladost, Varna|Mladost]]'''
| style="text-align:right;" | 87,256
|}

=== Policing and crime ===
{{Main|Crime in Bulgaria}}
[[File:MVR Varna.jpg|thumb|Police regional directorate]]

Varna was rumoured to be the hub of [[:Category:Organized crime in Bulgaria|Bulgarian organised crime]]. Some sectors of the economy, including gambling, corporate security, tourism, real estate, and professional sports, were believed to be controlled in part by business groups with links to Communist-era secret services or the military.

However, it is noted that in Varna, the so-called ''mutri'' (Mafia) presence was by no means as visible as it was in smaller coastal towns and resorts. Over the last couple of years, crime has subsided, which is said to have contributed to Varna being named as Bulgaria's Best City to Live In (2007);<ref>{{cite web |url=http://dariknews.bg/view_article.php?article_id=204974 |title=Варна е най-добрият град за живеене в България – DARIK News |date=6 December 2007 |publisher=Dariknews.bg |access-date=6 May 2009 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080113151115/http://dariknews.bg/view_article.php?article_id=204974 |archive-date=13 January 2008 }}</ref> in 2007, the regional police chief was promoted to the helm of the national police service.

=== Consulates ===
There are consulates of the following countries:
Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Hungary, Indonesia, Israel, Italy, Norway, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Ukraine.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.embassypages.com/city/varna|title=Varna – Embassies and Consulates|publisher=Embassypages.com|access-date=28 February 2017|archive-date=28 February 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170228172128/https://www.embassypages.com/city/varna|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=The Russian consulate in Varna has finally closed|url=https://bnr.bg/en/post/101892421/the-russian-consulate-in-varna-has-finally-closed|publisher=BNR|access-date=23 February 2024}}</ref>

=== Twin towns – sister cities ===
{{See also|List of twin towns and sister cities in Bulgaria}}

Varna is [[Twin towns and sister cities|twinned]] with:<ref>{{cite web|title=Побратимени градове|url=http://live.varna.bg/bg/Varna-worldwide/pobratimeni-gradove.html|website=live.varna.bg|publisher=Varna|language=bg|access-date=29 October 2019|archive-date=29 October 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191029123135/http://live.varna.bg/bg/Varna-worldwide/pobratimeni-gradove.html|url-status=live}}</ref>
{{div col|colwidth=20em}}
*{{flagicon|ESP}} [[Barcelona]], Spain
*{{flagicon|ITA}} [[Bari]], Italy
*{{flagicon|GBR}} [[Bradford]], England, United Kingdom
*{{flagicon|RSA}} [[Cape Town]], South Africa
*{{flagicon|NED}} [[Dordrecht]], Netherlands
*{{flagicon|GER}} [[Eimsbüttel|Eimsbüttel (Hamburg)]], Germany
*{{flagicon|ITA}} [[Genoa]], Italy
*{{flagicon|GRE}} [[Kavala]], Greece
*{{flagicon|UKR}} [[Kharkiv]], Ukraine
*{{flagicon|FRA}} [[Marseille]], France
*{{flagicon|CHN}} [[Ningbo]], China
*{{flagicon|RUS}} [[Novorossiysk]], Russia
*{{flagicon|RUS}} [[Novosibirsk]], Russia
*{{flagicon|GER}} [[Rostock]], Germany
*{{flagicon|FRA}} [[Strasbourg]], France
*{{flagicon|IDN}} [[Surabaya]], Indonesia
*{{flagicon|FIN}} [[Turku]], Finland
*{{flagicon|IRN}} [[Urmia]], Iran
<!--Wels - not twinning-->
{{div col end}}