Bulgaria: Country Background Report
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Bulgaria – the Difficult “Return to Europe”
European Democracy in Action BULGARIA – THE DIFFICULT “RETURN TO EUROPE” TAMARA BUSCHEK Against the background of the EU accession of Bulgaria on 1st January 2007 and the first Bulgarian elections for the European Parliament on 20th May 2007, Tamara Buschek takes a closer look at Bulgaria’s uneven political and economic transition – at its difficult “return to Europe”. Graduated from Graz University (Austria) in 2003 with a Masters in Law [magistra juris] after finishing her studies in European and international law. After gaining a grant from the Chamber of Commerce in 2000 to complete an internship at the Austrian Embassy in London, she carried out research for her dissertation in criminal law – “The Prevention of Sexual Child Abuse – Austria/Great Britain” - in 2001 at the London School of Economics. She studied European and administrative law in Paris from 2001 to 2002 as part of an Erasmus year. She is quadrilingual (German, Bulgarian, English and French). « BULGARIA – THE DIFFICULT RETURN TO EUROPE » MAY 2007 Table of Contents Introduction P. 1 2.3 The current governmental coalition, 2005-2007 and the P. 21 presidential election in 2006 I – Background Information P. 3 III - The first European Parliament elections, 20 May 2007 P. 25 1.1 Hopes and Fears P. 3 Conclusion P. 30 1.2 Ethnic Minorities P. 5 1.3 Economic Facts P. 7 Annex P. 32 II – Political Situation- a difficult path towards stability P. 9 Annex 1: Key facts P. 32 2.1 The transition from 1989 till 2001 P. 9 Annex 2: Economic Profile P. 33 2.1.1 The legislative elections of 1990 and the first P. -
There Has Been No Bulgarian Tradition of Any Long-Standing Resistance to the Communist Regime
There has been no Bulgarian tradition of any long-standing resistance to the communist regime. There was neither any political opposition, nor any other kind of an influential dissident movement. Bulgaria never went through the purgatory of the Hungarian uprising of 1956, or the “Prague spring” of 1968. It is indeed difficult to find any counter arguments whatsoever against the cliché that Bul- garia was the closest satellite of the Soviet Union. The fundamental contradictions within the Union of Democratic Forces (SDS) coalition were present from the very first day of its inception. There were Marxists who were longing for “socialism with a human face”, intellectuals with liberal ideas, social democrats and Christian democrats, conservatives and radical demo- crats, monarchists and republicans. The members of the center-right coalition did not delude themselves about their differences; they rather shared the clear un- derstanding that only a painful compromise could stand some chances against the Goliath of the totalitarian Bulgarian Communist Party (BKP). It was this unani- mous opposition to the communist regime and its legacy that made the coalition possible. But only for a limited period of time. The United Democratic Forces (ODS) government under Prime Minister Ivan Kostov (1997-2001) completed the reformist agenda of anti-communism. At the end of the ODS term of office, Bulgaria was a country with a functioning market economy, stable democracy, and a clearly outlined foreign policy course towards the country’s accession to the European Union and NATO, which was accepted by all significant political formations, the Bulgarian Socialist Party (BSP) included. -
Zornitsa Markova the KTB STATE
Zornitsa Markova THE KTB STATE Sofia, 2017 All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or express written consent from Iztok-Zapad Publishing House. transmitted in any form or by any means without first obtaining © Zornitsa Markova, 2017 © Iztok-Zapad Publishing House, 2017 ISBN 978-619-01-0094-2 zornitsa markova THE KTB STATE CHRONICLE OF THE LARGEST BANK FAILURE IN BULGARIA — THE WORKINGS OF A CAPTURED STATE THAT SOLD OUT THE PUBLIC INTEREST FOR PRIVATE EXPEDIENCY CONTENTS LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS AND ACRONYMS / 12 EDITOR’S FOREWORD / 13 SUMMARY / 15 READER’S GUIDE TO THE INVESTIGATION / 21 1. HISTORICAL BACKGROUND / 23 DEVELOPMENTS IN THE BULGARIAN BANKING SECTOR THAT PRE-DATE KTB ..........................................................25 Headed for a Banking Crisis .................................................................................................. 26 Scores of Banks Close Their Doors................................................................................... 29 First Private Bank — Backed by the Powerful, Favoured by the Government ......................................................... 33 Criminal Syndicates and Their Banks — the Birth of a State within the State ...........................................................................35 A Post-Crisis Change of Players ..........................................................................................37 A FRESH START FOR THE FLEDGLING KTB ..................................................... 40 KTB SALE ..........................................................................................................................................42 -
Anti-Communism, Neoliberalisation, Fascism by Bozhin Stiliyanov
Post-Socialist Blues Within Real Existing Capitalism: Anti-Communism, Neoliberalisation, Fascism by Bozhin Stiliyanov Traykov A thesis submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy Department of Sociology University of Alberta © Bozhin Stiliyanov Traykov, 2020 Abstract This project draws on Alex William’s (2020) contribution to Gramscian studies with the concept of complex hegemony as an emergent, dynamic and fragile process of acquiring power in socio- political economic systems. It examines anti-communism as an ideological element of neoliberal complex hegemony in Bulgaria. By employing a Gramcian politico-historical analysis I explore examples of material and discursive ideological practices of anti-communism. I show that in Bulgaria, anti-communism strives to operate as hegemonic, common-sensual ideology through legislative acts, production of historiography, cultural and educational texts, and newly invented traditions. The project examines the process of rehabilitation of fascist figures and rise of extreme nationalism, together with discrediting of the anti-fascist struggle and demonizing of the welfare state within the totalitarian framework of anti-communism. Historians Enzo Traverso (2016, 2019), Domenico Losurdo (2011) and Ishay Landa (2010, 2016) have traced the undemocratic roots of economic liberalism and its (now silenced) support of fascism against the “Bolshevik threat.” They have shown that, whether enunciated by fascist regimes or by (neo)liberal intellectuals, anti-communism is deeply undemocratic and shares deep mass-phobic disdain for political organizing of the majority. In this dissertation I argue that, in Bulgaria, anti- communism has not only opened the ideological space for extreme right and fascist politics, it has demoralized left political organizing by attacking any attempts for a politics of socio- economic justice as tyrannical. -
Bulgaria Country Report BTI 2003
Bulgaria Status Index 7.7 Management Index 6.4 (Democracy: 4.0 / Market Economy: 3.7) System of Government Parliamentary Population 8.0 Mio. Democracy GDP p. c. ($, PPP) 6,890 Voter turnout 67.03 (2002) Unemployment rate 19.5 % Women in Parliament 26.3 % HDI 0.795 Population growth -0.3 % UN-Education Index 0.91 Largest ethnic minority 9.4 % (1992) Gini-Index 31.9 Figures for 2001 – if not indicated otherwise. a) Annual growth between 1975 and 2001. Source: UNDP: Human Development Report 2003. 1. Introduction The beginning of the period under study coincided roughly with the formation of the Union of Democratic Forces (SDS) government under Ivan Kostov in early 1997. The previous Bulgarian Socialist Party (BSP) government under Zhan Videnov had run Bulgaria’s economy to ruin during its short mandate from January 25, 1995 to December 28, 1996, and was forced out by popular demand. Ivan Kostov’s SDS-led government, in power from May 23, 1997 to July 24, 2001, is, to date, the only government since 1990 to have completed a full term of office. Although it was able to bring stability to the country and its macroeconomic situation, the SDS-led government was ousted in the June 17, 2001 elections by former czar Simeon II Saxe-Coburg-Gotha and his three-month- old party the National Movement for Simeon II (NDSV). The SDS lost the election because it had been unable to improve economic conditions for the average person and because voters had placed unrealistic hopes in the former czar. This report concludes that, despite all apparent political and macroeconomic stabilization since the 1997 crisis, severe deficiencies remain in regard to the rule of law; administrative efficiency; and the fight against organized crime, corruption and mafia structures (Bulgaria ranks 45th in the Corruption Perception Index with a score of 4.0). -
General Election in Bulgaria
GENERAL ELECTIONS IN BULGARIA 26th March 2017 European The Bulgarian general elections on 26th Elections monitor March might not lead to a majority Corinne Deloy On 24th January the new President of the Republic of Bulgaria, Rumen Radev, elected on 13th November 2016, dissolved the National Assembly (Narodno sabranie), the only chamber of Parliament in Bulgaria and convened a snap election on 26th March. This will be the third since 2013. According to political analysts it might not lead to a strong majority able to Analysis implement the economic and institutional reform that Bulgaria so badly needs. “None of the parties seem able to win an absolute majority which, will lead to a divided parliament and a weak government coalition,” indicated Andrius Tursa, a political expert of the consultancy Teneo. Outgoing Prime Minister Boyko Borissov, (Citizens for the European Development of Bulgaria, GERB), deemed that it would certainly be difficult to form a government after the election. 12 parties and 9 coalitions are running in these parliament leader as its head (2001-2005) elections. According to the most recent poll whose task it has been to prepare for the by Trend, the GERB is running neck and neck upcoming general elections and to ensure the with the Socialist Party (BSP) with 29.7% and smooth running of the State until his successor 28.7% respectively. The Patriotic Front stands is appointed. third with 9.9% of the vote, followed by the An extremely unstable political scene Movement for Rights and Liberties (DPS), a party representing the Turkish minority, is due Boyko Borissov is the first head of the Bulgarian to win 9%. -
Appendix 1A: List of Government Parties September 12, 2016
Updating the Party Government data set‡ Public Release Version 2.0 Appendix 1a: List of Government Parties September 12, 2016 Katsunori Seki§ Laron K. Williams¶ ‡If you use this data set, please cite: Seki, Katsunori and Laron K. Williams. 2014. “Updating the Party Government Data Set.” Electoral Studies. 34: 270–279. §Collaborative Research Center SFB 884, University of Mannheim; [email protected] ¶Department of Political Science, University of Missouri; [email protected] List of Government Parties Notes: This appendix presents the list of government parties that appear in “Data Set 1: Governments.” Since the purpose of this appendix is to list parties that were in government, no information is provided for parties that have never been in government in our sample (i.e, opposition parties). This is an updated and revised list of government parties and their ideological position that were first provided by WKB (2011). Therefore, countries that did not appear in WKB (2011) have no list of government parties in this update. Those countries include Bangladesh, Botswana, Czechoslovakia, Guyana, Jamaica, Namibia, Pakistan, South Africa, and Sri Lanka. For some countries in which new parties are frequently formed and/or political parties are frequently dissolved, we noted the year (and month) in which a political party was established. Note that this was done in order to facilitate our data collection, and therefore that information is not comprehensive. 2 Australia List of Governing Parties Australian Labor Party ALP Country Party -
Ethno-Nationalism During Democratic Transition in Bulgaria: Political Pluralism As an Effective Remedy for Ethnic Conflict
Ethno-Nationalism during Democratic Transition in Bulgaria: Political Pluralism as an Effective Remedy for Ethnic Conflict Bistra-Beatrix Volgyi Department of Political Science York University YCISS Post-Communist Studies Programme Research Paper Series Paper Number 003 March 2007 Research Papers Series publishes research papers on problems of post-communism written by graduate and undergraduate students at York University. Following the collapse of communism in the 1990s in Central and South- Eastern Europe, the region has not only undergone a difficult period of economic and political transition, but also has witnessed the rise of ethno-nationalism in several states, along with problems of national identity, state formation and the exclusion (or extermination as in the Yugoslav case) of minorities. Nationalism may adopt a variety of forms simultaneously - ethnic, cultural or civic, where either one of these forms or a mixture of elements from the three, may predominate in a state over time, influenced by politico-economic realities, elite behavior, party coalitions, international interests and ideological influences, as well as societal attitudes. Nationalism in its ethnic variant has led to the alienation and violation of minorities’ rights, and its supporters have advocated the creation of ethnically homogenous states. Proponents of cultural nationalism have attempted the assimilation of national minority ‘low cultures’ into the dominant national ‘high culture.’ On the other hand, civic nationalism has mobilized people in Eastern -
Cominform 1947
For A Lasting Peace, For A People’s Democracy FOR A LASTING PEACE, FOR A PEOPLE’S DEMOCRACY Full and complete Reports submitted to the Nine Communist Parties’ Conference held at Warsaw in September 1947 PEOPLE’S PUBLISHING HOUSE, LTD. Bombay, 1948 First Indian Edition March 1948 PUBLISHER’S NOTE We are printing in the following pages the full reports as submitted by the representa- tives of the leading Communist Parties of Europe who attended the Informatory Con- ference held in Warsaw towards the end of September 1947. They have been taken from the fortnightly organ of the Commu- nist Information Bureau, For A Lasting Peace, For A People’s Democracy!—Nos. 1, 2, 3, and 4. CONTENTS COMMUNIQUÉ ....................................................................................................1 DECLARATION ....................................................................................................2 RESOLUTION ......................................................................................................5 EDVARD KARDELJ: The Communist Party of Yugoslavia in the Struggle for the Independence of the Yugoslav Peoples.... and Socialist Reconstruction of the Economy ...............................................6 1. The Party in the Period of the National Liberation War ............................................... 7 2. The Role of the Party in the Political and Economic Construction of the New Yugoslavia .................................................................................................................... 18 WLADISLAW -
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DOI: 10.17573/cepar.2020.1.05 1.01 Original scientific article Public Administration Reform in Bulgaria: Top-down and Externally-driven Approach Emilia Zankina Temple University, USA [email protected] https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0312-4095 Received: 17. 10. 2019 Accepted: 11. 3. 2020 ABSTRACT The article examines public administration reform (PAR) in Bulgaria and the main factors that shaped the reform agenda and dynamics. PAR is ex- amined along five key dimensions – transparency and accountability, civil service and human resources management (HRM), public service deliv- ery and digitalisation, organisation and management of government, and policy-making coordination and implementation. The article argues that there are four main factors influencing reform dynamics and determining policy outcomes in the Bulgarian case: the specific political choices made by government elites, external influence of the EU and of past national legacies, and the importance of institutions and reform mechanisms. To illustrate these factors at work, the article examines three policy initia- tives, i.e. e-government, the reduction of administrative burden, and civil service reform. The article presents a longitudinal analysis and a qualita- tive case-study approach, utilising Annual Reports on the Status of the Public Administration 2001–2018, mapping European Semester Docu- ments 2011–2017, an inventory of PAR initiatives 2005–2018, and in- terviews of public officials. The pushes for reform have been top-down, externally-driven, and stop-and-go in nature. The results confirm previ- ous findings that Bulgaria is among the EU countries with the poorest record in PAR, struggling to overcome communist legacies and high lev- els of corruption and politicisation. -
The Struggle for Access to Healthcare in Eastern and Southern Europe
The Struggle for Access to Healthcare in Eastern and Southern Europe Partisanship and Party Responsiveness by Alexandru Daniel Moise Submitted to The Doctoral School of Political Science, Public Policy, and International Relations Central European University In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy CEU eTD Collection Supervisor: Associate Professor Evelyne H¨ubscher Budapest, Hungary June 2019 Declaration I, the undersigned Alexandru Daniel Moise, candidate for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy at the Central European University Doctoral School of Political Science, Public Policy and International Relations, declare herewith that the present thesis is exclusively my own work, based on my research and only such external information as properly credited in notes and bibliography. I declare that no unidentified and illegitimate use was made of work of others, and no part the thesis infringes on any person's or institution's copyright. I also declare that no part the thesis has been submitted in this form to any other institution of higher education for an academic degree. Budapest, June 11, 2019 ||||||||||||||||| Signature CEU eTD Collection c by Alexandru Daniel Moise, 2019 All Rights Reserved. Word count: ∼ 62,000 ii pentru mama s, i uri CEU eTD Collection Acknowledgments \You don't get it", she said. \Don't get what?" \We are one." \We are one?" Tengo asked with a shock. \We wrote the book together." ... \That's true. We wrote Air Crysalis together. And when we are eaten by the tiger, we'll be eaten together." |Haruki Murakami, 1Q84 If academia were a running club, the PhD would be the marathon. -
The Bulgarian Army – from the Warsaw Pact to Nato (Some Problems of the Military Reform)
Doykov, Yordan. El Ejército Búlgaro –del Pacto de Varsovia a la OTAN (algunos problemas de la Reforma Militar) THE BULGARIAN ARMY – FROM THE WARSAW PACT TO NATO (SOME PROBLEMS OF THE MILITARY REFORM) YORDAN DOYKOV∗ ABSTRACT The reform of the Bulgarian has progressed with difficulties, following the logic of the political process and looks for the foundation of national understanding of state’s priorities, including in the field of defence. The significance of the problems in the process of reformation of the Bulgarian armed forces is getting a more outlined form through following its historical importance and development. In the process of building stated democratic institutions the society needs the implementation of this military reform for the creation of a new army. Shaping the military reform concept is a result of a dispute between BSP and UDF. The transition period was accompanied by a waste of the military human potential. ∗ Departamento de Ciencia Política en la Universidad de Sofía “St Kliment Ohridski”. Papeles del Este. 1 8(2004): 1-23 Doykov, Yordan. El Ejército Búlgaro –del Pacto de Varsovia a la OTAN (algunos problemas de la Reforma Militar) EL EJÉRCITO BÚLGARO – DEL PACTO DE VARSOVIA A LA OTAN (ALGUNOS PROBLEMAS DE LA REFORMA MILITAR) YORDAN DOYKOV∗ RESUMEN El proceso de reforma búlgaro ha ido progresando con dificultades, ha seguido la lógica del proceso político y con el objetivo de conseguir una lista de prioridades nacionales que incluyen el área de defensa. La importancia de los problemas acontecidos durante el proceso de reforma de las Fuerzas Armadas búlgaras está tomando una mayor importancia debido a su importancia histórica y desarrollo.