ISSN 2039-2117 (online) Mediterranean Journal of Social Sciences Vol 4 No 2 ISSN 2039-9340 (print) Published by MCSER-CEMAS-Sapienza University of Rome May 2013 Contemporary Bulgaria. Political and Economic Perspectives after the European Adhesion Roberto Sciarrone Università di Roma La Sapienza
[email protected] Doi:10.5901/mjss.2013.v4n2p401 . Abstract: The last decade has seen a relentless succession of economic crises, political and social factors that have distorted, in some cases, well-established diplomatic relations and development prospects, for better or for worse. These changes have had their greatest impact in the former socialist bloc, and particularly in the Balkans. Bulgaria, according to many studies, is part of this context and is equally conditioned by these considerations. The country, in fact, has gone through in recent years a strong political and social crisis which, with many difficulties, has led to a total economic revolution and a substantial progress in the integration into euro – Atlantic structures. Keywords: Bulgaria, European Union, Socialism, Eastern Europe, European Community, Via Egnatia, European Treaties, Communist Party of Bulgaria, Zhivkov,Dimitrov of Bulgaria, Macedonia, Balkan Politics, Kosovo, Nikola Petkov. 1. Preamble L’ultimo decennio ha visto un incessante susseguirsi di crisi economiche, politiche e sociali che hanno stravolto, in alcuni casi, rapporti diplomatici consolidati nel tempo e prospettive di sviluppo, nel bene o nel male. Questi cambiamenti hanno prodotto le loro conseguenze soprattutto negli Stati dell’ex blocco socialista(Biagini - Guida, 1994), e maggiormente nei Balcani (Biagini, 1990). La Bulgaria, paese che qui si tratta, non si ritiene, secondo numerosi studiosi, estranea a queste considerazioni.