The Bulgarian Transition towards Democracy and the Challenges of the New Perspective

Abstract

At the end of the Cold War era, Bulgaria succeeded in swiftly creating a democratic political and institutional system. In spite of these rapid achievements, the process of transition has proved slow and incoherent. The disappearance of external security and internal stability ensured by participation in the communist bloc has caused confusion if not discontent in the population. As a consequence, economic and political reforms have been delayed, compromising the trust of Bulgarians in the new democratic institutions. This article sheds lights on these developments in Bulgaria's multifaceted transition towards democracy, underscoring its historical peculiarities. It explores the main challenges of Bulgarian politics—trust building, weak grass-roots participation and the extreme fragmentation of the political landscape—and identifies possible solutions.