Image: Informo.bg Situation in the Western Balkans A key element of the European Union’s (EU) conditionality in the Western Balkans for accession is regional cooperation. The aspiring countries must cooperate with each other by, for example, reducing trade barriers and improving intra-regional infrastructure. This analysis will review the development (or […]
Yearly Archives: 2018
11 posts
Image: iStock/Getty Images Introduction In each country, the main driver of social, economic and political development is its population, so a demographic crisis is capable of destroying any potential for a better future for a society. Unfortunately, we have witnessed such a crisis in Bulgaria for decades and its effects are […]
Photo: AFP/ Getty images Analysing the benefits of the ‘lowest common denominator’ History shows that economic development, and the subsequent societal modernisation are strong correlates to having both a developed ‘democracy’ and a sustainable ‘rule of law’ and ‘welfare’ state. At the same time, the Bulgarian ‘transition’ can be understood as […]
Photo: bundesfinanzministerium.de How we developed, in comparison to Hungary and Germany There is, without doubt, a need for our society to conclude the Bulgarian “Transition”. An objective view of the socialist and post-socialist periods is required, in order to effectively consider the future strategies for our development. The current article […]
The forgotten figures of Bulgarian history At 3 o’clock in the morning of August 3rd 1925, flames span the wooden structure of the covered bridge over the Osam River in the town of Lovech. This was the “Bridge of Kolyu Ficheto”, built half a century earlier, and in that night […]
Photo: imperiya.by Part 2: the liberal economic reforms, the troubled 70s and lessons for contemporary Bulgaria 1965 Economic Reforms In order to address the structural problems of Yugoslavia’s foreign-trade policy, the Belgrade government introduced a major economic reform in 1965, which was a “complete abandonment” of classical Marxist theory (Margold, […]
Photo: imperiya.by Part 1: Yugoslavia between the regional trade blocs (1948-65) The Balkans was a politically and ideologically diverse region during the Cold War. Bulgaria and Romania were parties to the Warsaw Pact, Albania sided with the People’s Republic of China during the Sino-Soviet split, after which the country was […]
Photo: Financial Times At first glance, the favorable attitude towards women in Bulgarian politics might be attributed to the legacy of the socialist ideology and women’s parliamentary presence during the regime. In fact, the idea that women have had access to the same career opportunities as men for a long […]
Photo: burgascity.com Following the fall of the Berlin Wall, the Eastern Bloc countries undertook a series of radical reforms with the ambition to make the transition from planned to market economy in the most effective manner. The main challenges faced as part of the process, were to achieve macroeconomic stability, to […]
Photo: Club Z “The Transition” since 1989… To some, it brings hope fora better, more democratic future. To others, it gives reason to mourn socialism. To some “the Transition” is a real chance to make it. To others, it is a lie and a deception. Reason to rectify past mistakes… […]