Evidence from Election Programmes
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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. -
Bulgaria's Perpetual Stagnation Due to Its Negative National Narrative
Claremont Colleges Scholarship @ Claremont CMC Senior Theses CMC Student Scholarship 2021 Maledictum Bulgaricus: Bulgaria’s Perpetual Stagnation Due to its Negative National Narrative and Political Nostalgia Yoana Sidzhimova Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarship.claremont.edu/cmc_theses Part of the History Commons Recommended Citation Sidzhimova, Yoana, "Maledictum Bulgaricus: Bulgaria’s Perpetual Stagnation Due to its Negative National Narrative and Political Nostalgia" (2021). CMC Senior Theses. 2645. https://scholarship.claremont.edu/cmc_theses/2645 This Open Access Senior Thesis is brought to you by Scholarship@Claremont. It has been accepted for inclusion in this collection by an authorized administrator. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Claremont McKenna College Maledictum Bulgaricus: Bulgaria’s Perpetual Stagnation Due to its Negative National Narrative and Political Nostalgia submitted to Professor Zachary Courser by Yoana Nikolaeva Sidzhimova for Senior Thesis Full Year Thesis 2020 – 2021 May 3, 2021 1 Acknowledgements First, I would like to thank Professor Courser for his guidance throughout my entire journey at CMC. From sitting in his office for our first ever advisor meeting freshman year, having the pleasure to learn and work alongside him in CMC’s Policy Lab, and, finally, completing my thesis with his guidance, my experience at CMC would not have been the same without him there. Thank you for always pushing me and helping me understand the value in a ‘Big Think,’ having my best interests as a both a student and individual at heart, and, most importantly, reminding me the value in slowing down and taking a breather. I have learned so much from you in the past four years. -
Populism, Voters and Cleavages in Bulgarian Politics*
56 POLITOLOGICKÝ ČASOPIS / CZECH JOURNAL OF POLITICAL SCIENCE 1/2017 Populism, Voters and Cleavages in Bulgarian Politics* EMILIA ZANKINA** Abstract The growing success of populist parties from across the political spectrum in Europe calls for an examination of the link between populist parties and voters and the new (if new indeed) cleavages that such parties exploit. Scholars have pointed to the erosion of traditional cleavages as one rea- son for the success of populist parties. Such analysis fits well with the established democracies of Europe but has little application in the East European context. Traditional cleavages have taken root in few places in Eastern Europe before communist takeover and became even less relevant follow- ing four and a half decades of communist rule. With the fall of communist regimes across Eastern Europe, the only meaningful division within society was that of anti-communists and supporters of the old regime. Similarly, concepts of Left and Right had (and to a great extend continue to have) lit- tle relevance in the East European context where the Left came to be dominated by former commu- nist parties and the Right engulfed an ideologically incoherent opposition. The stronger the former communists were (such as in Bulgaria and Romania) the more fragmented the Right was, as it was the only available space for political competition. The present paper aims to examine voter support for populist parties in Bulgaria and analyze on the cleavages that those parties exploit or create. Thus, the paper examines the impact of populist parties on the political landscape in terms of the changes that those parties result in in voter behavior and cleavage formation. -
BULGARIA and HUNGARY in the FIRST WORLD WAR: a VIEW from the 21ST CENTURY 21St -Century Studies in Humanities
BULGARIA AND HUNGARY IN THE FIRST WORLD WAR: A VIEW FROM THE 21ST CENTURY 21st -Century Studies in Humanities Editor: Pál Fodor Research Centre for the Humanities Budapest–Sofia, 2020 BULGARIA AND HUNGARY IN THE FIRST WORLD WAR: A VIEW FROM THE 21ST CENTURY Editors GÁBOR DEMETER CSABA KATONA PENKA PEYKOVSKA Research Centre for the Humanities Budapest–Sofia, 2020 Technical editor: Judit Lakatos Language editor: David Robert Evans Translated by: Jason Vincz, Bálint Radó, Péter Szőnyi, and Gábor Demeter Lectored by László Bíró (HAS RCH, senior research fellow) The volume was supported by theBulgarian–Hungarian History Commission and realized within the framework of the project entitled “Peripheries of Empires and Nation States in the 17th–20th Century Central and Southeast Europe. Power, Institutions, Society, Adaptation”. Supported by the Hungarian Academy of Sciences NKFI-EPR K 113004, East-Central European Nationalisms During the First World War NKFI FK 128 978 Knowledge, Lanscape, Nation and Empire ISBN: 978-963-416-198-1 (Institute of History – Research Center for the Humanities) ISBN: 978-954-2903-36-9 (Institute for Historical Studies – BAS) HU ISSN 2630-8827 Cover: “A Momentary View of Europe”. German caricature propaganda map, 1915. Published by the Research Centre for the Humanities Responsible editor: Pál Fodor Prepress preparation: Institute of History, RCH, Research Assistance Team Leader: Éva Kovács Cover design: Bence Marafkó Page layout: Bence Marafkó Printed in Hungary by Prime Rate Kft., Budapest CONTENTS INTRODUCTION .................................... 9 Zoltán Oszkár Szőts and Gábor Demeter THE CAUSES OF THE OUTBREAK OF WORLD WAR I AND THEIR REPRESENTATION IN SERBIAN HISTORIOGRAPHY .................................. 25 Krisztián Csaplár-Degovics ISTVÁN TISZA’S POLICY TOWARDS THE GERMAN ALLIANCE AND AGAINST GERMAN INFLUENCE IN THE YEARS OF THE GREAT WAR................................ -
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. -
Sofia Model”: Creation out of Chaos
The “Sofia Model”: Creation out of chaos Pathways to creative and knowledge-based regions ISBN 978-90-75246-62-9 Printed in the Netherlands by Xerox Service Center, Amsterdam Edition: 2007 Cartography lay-out and cover: Puikang Chan, AMIDSt, University of Amsterdam All publications in this series are published on the ACRE-website http://www2.fmg.uva.nl/acre and most are available on paper at: Dr. Olga Gritsai, ACRE project manager University of Amsterdam Amsterdam institute for Metropolitan and International Development Studies (AMIDSt) Department of Geography, Planning and International Development Studies Nieuwe Prinsengracht 130 NL-1018 VZ Amsterdam The Netherlands Tel. +31 20 525 4044 +31 23 528 2955 Fax +31 20 525 4051 E-mail: [email protected] Copyright © Amsterdam institute for Metropolitan and International Development Studies (AMIDSt), University of Amsterdam 2007. All rights reserved. No part of this publication can be reproduced in any form, by print or photo print, microfilm or any other means, without written permission from the publisher. The “Sofia Model”: Creation out of chaos Pathways to creative and knowledge-based regions ACRE report 2.10 Evgenii Dainov Ivan Nachev Maria Pancheva Vasil Garnizov Accommodating Creative Knowledge – Competitiveness of European Metropolitan Regions within the Enlarged Union Amsterdam 2007 AMIDSt, University of Amsterdam ACRE ACRE is the acronym for the international research project Accommodating Creative Knowledge – Competitiveness of European Metropolitan Regions within the enlarged Union. The project is funded under the priority 7 ‘Citizens and Governance in a knowledge-based society within the Sixth Framework Programme of the EU (contract no. 028270). Coordination: Prof. -
The Mainstream Right, the Far Right, and Coalition Formation in Western Europe by Kimberly Ann Twist a Dissertation Submitted In
The Mainstream Right, the Far Right, and Coalition Formation in Western Europe by Kimberly Ann Twist A dissertation submitted in partial satisfaction of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Political Science in the Graduate Division of the University of California, Berkeley Committee in charge: Professor Jonah D. Levy, Chair Professor Jason Wittenberg Professor Jacob Citrin Professor Katerina Linos Spring 2015 The Mainstream Right, the Far Right, and Coalition Formation in Western Europe Copyright 2015 by Kimberly Ann Twist Abstract The Mainstream Right, the Far Right, and Coalition Formation in Western Europe by Kimberly Ann Twist Doctor of Philosophy in Political Science University of California, Berkeley Professor Jonah D. Levy, Chair As long as far-right parties { known chiefly for their vehement opposition to immigration { have competed in contemporary Western Europe, scholars and observers have been concerned about these parties' implications for liberal democracy. Many originally believed that far- right parties would fade away due to a lack of voter support and their isolation by mainstream parties. Since 1994, however, far-right parties have been included in 17 governing coalitions across Western Europe. What explains the switch from exclusion to inclusion in Europe, and what drives mainstream-right parties' decisions to include or exclude the far right from coalitions today? My argument is centered on the cost of far-right exclusion, in terms of both office and policy goals for the mainstream right. I argue, first, that the major mainstream parties of Western Europe initially maintained the exclusion of the far right because it was relatively costless: They could govern and achieve policy goals without the far right. -
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 -
Bulgaria Political Party '. Development Assistance Assessment & Program Design
BULGARIA POLITICAL PARTY '. DEVELOPMENT ASSISTANCE ASSESSMENT & PROGRAM DESIGN Preparedfor: U.S. Agency For International Development/Bulgaria Democracy & Local Governance Office Prepared by: Mark Hopkins, M.A. Sarah Birch, Ph.D. & John Mason, Ph.D. (Team Leader) Consultants for: Developmeut Associates, Inc. 1730 N. Lynn Street Arlington, VA 22209-2023 (703) 276-0677 April 29, 2002 TABLE OF CONTENTS Page Acronyms 1lI Executive Summary iv Chapter 1: Introduction I A. Purpose I B. Background I C. Methodology and Research Perspective 2 D. Organization ofthe Report 4 Chapter 2: Constraints to Enhanced Party Electoral Competitiveness 5 A. The Setting 5 B. Cultural and Social Attitudes towards Political Parties 5 C. Legal Framework ofParties, Voting Systems and Elections 7 D. Impact ofLocal Elections on Party Behavior 8 E. Party Election Campaign Capacity 9 Chapter 3: Challenges to Formation of Effective Party Structures 12 A. Overall Organizational Status ofParties 12 B. Internal Organizational Development 13 C. Institutionalization ofParty Structure 15 D. Prospects for Party Reform IS E. The Needs ofWomen in Politics 16 F. Youth Needs 18 Chapter 4: Potential for Effective Party Governance 21 A. Outreach Capacity 21 B. Links to Advocacy Groups and the Media 27 C. Coalition-Building Experience 29 D. Role ofthe Opposition 29 Chapter 5: An Overview ofDonor Experience in Assisting Party Development 31 A. u.S. Experience in Direct Support ofParty Development 31 B. Other Donor Experience in Direct Support ofthe Political Party Process 34 C. USAID Experience in Indirect Support ofParty System Development.. 35 • D. Future Plans and Potential Donor Cooperation 38 PoliJical Party Deve1JJpment April 2002 in Bulgaria ....' Development Associates, Inc. -
States, Societies and Individuals in Central and Eastern Europe
FOUREMPIRES ANDAN ENLGARGEMENT States, Societies and Individuals in Central and Eastern Europe Edited by Daniel Brett, Claire Jarvis, Irina Marin FOUR EMPIRES AND AN ENLARGEMENT States, Societies and Individuals: Transfiguring Perspectives and Images of Central and Eastern Europe Edited by DANIEL BRETT, CLAIRE JARVIS AND IRINA MARIN Papers from the 5th International Postgraduate Conference held at the School of Slavonic and East European Studies UCL School of Slavonic and East European Studies, UCL 2008 FOUR EMPIRES AND AN ENLARGEMENT STATES, SOCIETIES AND INDIVIDUALS: TRANSFIGURING PERSPECTIVES AND IMAGES OF CENTRAL AND EASTERN EUROPE EDITED BY DANIEL BRETT, CLAIRE JARVIS AND IRINA MARIN Studies in Russia and Eastern Europe No. 4 ISBN: 978-0-903425-80-3 Editorial matter, selection and introduction © Daniel Brett, Claire Jarvis, Irina Marin 2008. Individual chapters © contributors 2008 All rights reserved. The authors have asserted their rights to be identified as the authors of this work in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988. Contents Mysterious knocks, flying potatoes and rebellious servants: Spiritualism and social conflict in late imperial Russia 1 Julia Mannherz The Ukrainian Stundists and Russian Jews: a collaboration of evangelical peasants with Jewish intellectuals in late imperial Russia 17 Sergei Zhuk “Forebears”, “saints” and “martyrs”: the politics of commemoration in Bulgaria in the 1880s and 1890s 33 Stefan Detchev Celebrating the nation: the case of Upper Silesia after the plebiscite in 1921 49 -
'Forebears', 'Saints' and 'Martyrs': the Politics Of
‘Forebears’, ‘saints’ and ‘martyrs’: the politics of commemoration in Bulgaria in the 1880s and 1890s1 Stefan Detchev (West University, Bulgaria) Тhe memory of the Bulgarian national revolutionary movement, as in all other national ideologies,2 was not transmitted only in books.3 It was embodied in the images of ‘saints’ and ‘martyrs’ commemorated at specific places. This paper will focus on the importance of the cult of forebears and predecessors as a part of popular political culture in Bulgaria in the 1880s and 1890s. During this period it increasingly mattered how ordinary people felt about nationality. The importance of this problem increased because of the introduction of universal male suffrage which followed the Tărnovo constitution of 1879.4 In this regard attention will be paid to days of national commemoration usually organised at the places of execution of Bulgarian national heroes and where Bulgarian rebel detachments had had battles.5 These days of commemoration were cultural and discursive practices that constituted new identities, new definitions of patriotism and identification with the state. I will be arguing that the commemoration of dead leaders and great events from the past played a very important role in shaping popular historical memory as part of identity building which cannot be done without stories, signs and symbols.6 These rituals shaped the ways in which the national revolutionaries were perceived and imagined. They invented a nationalistic public tradition and fostered a form of patriotism specific to itself. In this way historical myths became a part of political mythology and they aided political mobilisation. The commemorations were the obvious sites for this to take place. -
Boyko Borisov (Boyko Metodievborisov) Octubre 09, Primer Ministro (2º Ejercicio)
Boyko Borisov (Boyko MetodievBorisov) octubre 09, Primer ministro (2º ejercicio) Duración del mandato: 07 de Noviembre de 2014 - En funciones Nacimiento: Bankya, Sofía, 13 de Junio de 1959 Partido político: GERB Profesión : Bombero, policía y guardaespaldas ResumenEn julio de 2009, por sexta vez consecutiva en casi dos décadas, las elecciones generales en Bulgaria han castigado a los partidos gobernantes y aupado al poder a una opción opositora que en esta ocasión presenta unas características radicalmente singulares y novedosas. El triunfador y nuevo primer ministro, Boyko Borisov, con su pintoresco currículum de bombero, policía, guardaespaldas y karateka, construyó desde 2001, en sus etapas de secretario de Estado del Interior y alcalde de Sofía, un perfil de hombre de acción enfrentado al crimen organizado y la corrupción. Líder oficioso de la formación centroderechista GERB, Borisov ha necesitado sólo cuatro años para laminar a los partidos tradicionales y coronar una vertiginosa carrera como político profesional que seduce con su imagen dura y sus promesas: remontar la severa recesión, en el país más pobre de la UE, terminar con el clima de impunidad y restaurar la confianza financiera de Bruselas. http://www.cidob.org 1 of 7 Biografía 1. Un profesional de la protección de las personas 2. De adjunto al ministro del Interior a alcalde de Sofía 3. Primer ministro de Bulgaria al frente del partido GERB 1. Un profesional de la protección de las personas Hijo de un funcionario del Ministerio del Interior del Gobierno comunista y de una profesora de escuela infantil, recibió la educación en un centro formativo especial del propio Ministerio, donde se adiestró profesionalmente para servir en el cuerpo de bomberos, que tenía una estructura policial.