The government will follow the rulings of the Constitutional Court and will not depart from them, justice minister Nikolay Naydenov said at an international conference in Sofia.

The conference marks 35 years since the court was set up. Its theme is "The role of constitutional courts in safeguarding the rule of law".

"For us, the rulings of the Constitutional Court are a compass, not an obstacle," Naydenov said. He added that he wanted to remove any doubt on this point, and promised: "We will follow this compass and will not stray from its direction."

The minister said those in power learn from the mistakes of the past and do not want to repeat them. The court does not always tell the government what it would like to hear, and that is exactly where its value lies, Naydenov said.

Over its 35 years, the court has more than once acted as referee between the branches of power during political tension and constitutional tests, the minister said. He said its rulings have provided the balance needed and a guarantee for preserving the state.

Naydenov said the court's main challenge is to keep defending the principle that law stands above political expediency. He likened constitutional justice to a "kind of transmission" between the Constitution and the separation of powers, which secures that mechanism.

The court's central role in balancing the branches of power matters greatly for a democratic society, the minister added.