Bulgaria: Transition towards democracy

Résumé du document

Bulgaria is due for accession to the European Union in 2007. According to most international reporting mechanisms the country has reached the final stages of democracy, and is ready to proceed with accession. While on many levels, such as economically and politically, Bulgaria may have achieved democracy, on others, for instance, judicial functionality and minority discrimination, the nation has room for improvement. Because democracy cannot simply be defined along one line, be it political, economic, or any others, this research undertakes to apply the transition towards democracy in Bulgaria against the theoretical framework of democracy as defined by Linz and Stepan. This theory examines the five different spheres considered to constitute democracy, political, economic, legal, societal, and bureaucratic. In order to decide whether or not, and by what process, Bulgaria has achieved democracy, this work is divided into six parts; the Linz and Stepan model constitutes five, and the last is a special focus on treatment of minorities. Each of these parts is further divided into subchapters, which, when applicable, have been arranged chronologically, and focus on several different important historical and present periods of Bulgarian transition. In some cases, historical examinations begin during the Second World War, and progress through the communist period, into the major period of transition, 1989-1997, and conclude with the current post transitional state. In each part, as with the general conclusion, analysis will focus on whether or not democratization has been achieved within the given sphere, and by what means transition has taken place.

Extraits

[...] This activity culminated in a mass demonstration in Sofia on November 3. Meanwhile, in a speech to a plenum of the BCP in late October, Zhivkov admitted that his latest restructuring program, begun in 1987 to achieve "fundamental renewal" of society, politics, and the economy, had been a failure. He unveiled a new, detailed program to counteract "alienation of the people from the government and the production process." 1997 Bulgaria is an example of transition from change took place within the framework of law. [...]

[...] Other parties Part II. Economic Transition 1. Economic Society During Communism 2. Transitional Stage and Economic Society 3. Bulgaria, Transition Comes Full Circle, 1989-1997, by Kyril Drezov 4. Current Economic State of Bulgaria Part III. Separation of Powers 3.1 Monarchy 2. Communism 3. Post Communism Part IV. [...]

[...] At the end of Feb Bulgarian Euro-Left held its first congress and transformed itself into a single party social-democratic party. The cahirman of the Bulgarian Euro-Left is currently Mr Aleksandar Tomov The Bulgarian Business Bloc The Bulgarian Business Bloc (BBB) was founded in Nov on the initiative of the Union for Private Economic Enterprise. As early as the second congress the organization was split: part of the governing body and the members founded another party related with the Union for Private Economic Enterprise - the Bulgarian Business Party, renamed later to Party "New Bulgaria". [...]

[...] The unemployment rate has continued to drop and wage pressures remain contained. Inflation has been trending up since early 2005, but should begin to taper off during the second half of 2006. In response to rapidly rising current account deficits, fiscal policy have been prudent during the past few years, and the growth of bank lending to the nongovernment sector was brought down from almost 50 percent during 2003-04 to 32 percent in 2005. According to the reports of EU and IMF Bulgaria is now a market economy. [...]

[...] Bulgaria's success in transforming its economy from central planning to a market-based system remained unmeasured in 1991. Undoubtedly, any form of Bulgarian government faced a daunting task at that point. The manufacturing sector was uncompetitive in world markets, was technologically outmoded, and consumed energy and materials at enormously wasteful rates. The agricultural sector, once the most productive sector of the Bulgarian economy, had degenerated to the point that the country could scarcely feed its own people. A new trade regime with traditional partners would strain already low hard currency reserves, restricting access to raw materials and sophisticated technology. [...]