Author: Evelyn Adams

Freedoms in Bulgaria

November 24, 2018 / Evelyn Adams / 0 Comments

Part A

While Bulgaria’s constitution protects freedom of expression and freedom of the press, according to Reporters Without Borders, Bulgaria continues to fall in the World Press Freedom Index. For several years now Bulgaria has rated lower than any other member of the European Union. In 2018 it received a rating of 111 out of 180 countries for its media freedoms, dropping two places from last year and eleven places since 2014. This low rating is a result of the widespread corruption between politicians, media, and powerful business elites. As an example, a former head of Bulgaria’s intelligence agency, Delyan Peevski, now owns the New Bulgarian Media Group which controls 80% of print media distribution. Furthermore, EU funding is being used to nourish corruption by distributing funds only to media which positively portray the government. There have even been a number of instances in which journalists have been harassed for revealing any sort of irregularities, or instances of corruption, within Bulgaria’s government. Similarly, while NGO’s operate freely, they face hostility from politicians, funding shortages, and nontransparent procedures.

In his book, Bleich discusses the “slippery slope” involved in the balance between guaranteeing democracy through preserving freedoms while also limiting discrimination. Unlike countries Bleich examines such as France and Germany, Bulgaria protects Holocaust denial as freedom of expression. While the Bulgarian government officially acknowledged its role in the Holocaust over seventy years after the end of the war and is now a member of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance, certain groups within the country have taken a revisionist outlook on history. In 2017 the Club of Bulgarian and Jewish Friends protested a monument commemorating Bulgaria’s role in saving 48,000 Jews from deportation to Nazi extermination camps during the war. What they found objectionable was an inscription on the monument which acknowledges Bulgaria’s role in deporting 11,343 Jews residing in its territories of Greece and Macedonia. The Club felt that such statements defamed Bulgaria’s memory and its people and thus it freely utilized its freedoms of expression and assembly.

Part B

Bleich discusses the soft power Russia has been utilizing through media distributed throughout Europe. While we primarily discussed in class Russia’s connection to far-right groups in countries such as France, this soft power has perhaps had an even more significant impact on countries like Bulgaria which already have strong diplomatic relations. Bulgaria and Romania have maintained a strong relationship for decades. During World War II, when Bulgaria joined the Axis alliance in 1941, it opted out of the war against the Soviet Union and maintained diplomatic relations with Moscow until 1944. During the Cold War, Bulgaria was part of the Soviet bloc and, as such, was a major trading partner with Russia. Bulgaria was even considered Russia’s most loyal ally. In recent years, Bulgaria has been torn between its alliance with the West as a member of NATO and the European Union and with its alliance with Russia. Putin has pushed to strengthen alliances with Sofia as Bulgaria is seen as a means to keep the Black Sea under Russian dominance and as an energy linkage from Russia to the west. As an example, an investment agreement was signed between Russia and Bulgaria in 2011 for the construction of the South Stream Pipeline, which put Bulgaria at odds with the European Union. While this project was ultimately not carried out, Russian influences continue to grow within Bulgaria.

According to a study conducted by the HSS Foundation on anti-democratic propaganda in Bulgaria, Eurosceptic, anti-US, and anti-NATO publications increased drastically between the years 2013 and 2017 while pro-Russia publications increased between 42 and 144 times. Further studies show that the number of publications supporting Russia’s actions in Crimea rose from 56 in 2013 to 6,109 in 2016. A common theme of these pro-Russian publications is projecting Russia as a victim of Western aggression.

While in power, the Bulgarian Socialist Party has maintained friendly relations with Russia while also maintaining a pro-EU stance. However, in the 2017 elections, the BSP called for an end of EU sanctions against Russia and took a more Eurosceptic stance. Populist parties, such as Volya, have also emerged in recent years and have taken a strong pro-Moscow stance.

https://encyclopedia.ushmm.org/content/en/article/bulgaria

http://www.balkaninsight.com/en/article/controversy-sparks-over-bulgaria-holocaust-commemoration-03-09-2017

https://www.euractiv.com/section/future-eu/news/bulgaria-is-last-on-media-freedom-in-eu-and-in-the-balkans/

https://www.theguardian.com/media/greenslade/2014/sep/23/press-freedom-bulgaria

http://hssfoundation.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/REPORT_PART1_EN.pdf

Co-opting discontent: Russian propaganda in the Bulgarian media

Bulgaria’s International Alliances and Reaction to the Refugee Crisis

October 23, 2018 / Evelyn Adams / 0 Comments

Bulgaria and Germany

As countries which were both part of the Soviet bloc, Germany and Bulgaria share a historical connection. Following World War II, Bulgaria and East Germany were dependent on the Soviet Union for security through membership in the Warsaw Pact. In addition, they were largely isolated from the West economically, with the large majority of trade occurring within other Soviet bloc countries. Even after the dissolution of the Soviet Union and fall of communism, these countries have maintained a strong tie with Russia. In recent years, Putin has pushed to strengthen alliances with the two countries. Bulgaria is seen as a means to keep the Black Sea under Russian dominance and as an energy linkage from Russia to the west (Bugajski 2014). Additionally, Germany’s strong economy plays a large role within the EU, making it a key market for Russia which establishes a powerful and tactical bond. Although it was not carries out, in 2011, Bulgaria even signed an investment agreement with Russia for construction of the South Stream Pipeline, just as construction of the Nord Stream pipeline began in Germany this past May (Noack 2018). However, both countries must be careful to balance their alliances to Russia with their alliances to the West. Bulgaria found itself at odds with the European Union in its commitment to the South Stream Pipeline and Germany is finding itself in a similar position today. With their economic and historical ties to Russia and their membership in NATO, both Bulgaria and Germany play a significant role in peacekeeping between the two. For example, in 1999 during NATO’s intervention in Kosovo, Bulgaria denied Russian forces overflight rights.

2. Bulgaria and the Refugee Crisis

Although Bulgaria may be similar to Germany within international relations, it takes a very different approach in regards to migration and the refugee crisis. Following the 2015 refugee crisis, Angela Merkel’s ruling coalition declared that Germany would take in one million refugees so as to lessen the burden of the Mediterranean states such as Greece, Italy, and Spain. It was thought that other European Union member states would take a similar approach, but populist backlash did not allow this to happen.

Due to its proximity to Turkey, Bulgaria faced a massive number of migrants and asylum seekers in 2015. Although few migrants settled in Bulgaria, there has been a significant amount of backlash against them. The Bulgarian National Movement Shipka, or BNO Shipka, has emerged as a group of anti-immigration vigilantes who patrol the border with Turkey. Migration could pose further problems to Bulgaria if it becomes part of the Schengen area. Prime Minister Boyko Borissov, who held the presidency of the Council of the EU earlier this year, had been negotiating for Bulgaria’s inclusion in the Schengen agreement. This has the potential to better Bulgaria’s economy due to the free movement of goods, services, and labor force, but it could lead to a greater influx of migrants. It seems unlikely that this will happen soon, however, for the European Court of Justice continues to cite breaches in Bulgaria’s capacity to uphold minority rights and crackdown on corruption (Grozev 2010). Conversely, Boyko Borissov also was pushing for the closure of external borders of the whole European Union and for centers in Libya and Turkey to deal with migrants before they reach Europe (Reuters 2018). This backlash against migrants is similar to that of the UK.

Due to its strong economy and as an English-speaking country, many migrants attempt to make their way to the United Kingdom. However, populist backlash against this accelerated political support for Brexit, leading to the vote to leave the European Union in 2016. The UK officially notified the European Council of its intent to withdraw from the EU in March 2017, in accordance with Article 50 of the Treaty of Lisbon. The European Council then adopted guidelines to set the framework of the negotiations and define the EU’s positions. The European Commission has coordinated all strategic and operational components of the negotiations. Michael Barnier has served as chief negotiator throughout the negotiation process through his Task Force at the European Commission.

Yonko Grozev, Daniel Smilhov, and Rashko Dorosiev. 2010. “Protecting Individuals from

Minorities and Other Vulnerable Groups in the European Court of Human Rights, Litigation and Jurisprudence: The Case of Bulgaria” In The European Court of Human Rights and the Rights of Marginalised Individuals and Minorities in National Context, ed. Dia Anagnostou. Martinus Nijhoff Publishers. 51-68.

https://www.nbcnews.com/storyline/europes-border-crisis/bulgarian-vigilantes-patrol-turkey-border-keep-migrants-out-n723481

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-europe-migrants-bulgaria/bulgaria-to-propose-immediate-closure-of-eu-borders-to-migrants-idUSKBN1JI1SK

Bugajski, Janusz. 2014.“Bulgaria: Progress and Development.” In Central and Eastern

European Politics: From Communism to Democracy, ed. Sharon L. Wolchik and Jane Leftwich Curry. Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, 341-71.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/worldviews/wp/2018/07/11/the-russian-pipeline-to-germany-that-trump-is-so-mad-about-explained/?noredirect=on&utm_term=.9ac82e25674e

What is Europe

September 14, 2018 / Evelyn Adams / 2 Comments

What is Europe? Where are its boundaries?

Defining “Europe” is a more complicated process than how it may at first seem. From a geographic lens, it could be defined west to east as the landmass from the Atlantic Ocean to the Ural Mountains of Russia and from north to south as the Arctic Ocean to the Mediterranean. However, the parameters of what constitutes Europe go beyond mere geography. It has an intrinsic political, historical, cultural, and even religious component. Despite its now diverse population, Europe has been built from Christian ideals. In fact, Glencross attributes this Christian identity as a major factor in differentiating Europe from outsiders. However, as Christianity became divided by the Reformation of the seventeenth and eighteenth century, the sovereign state came into play and, with it, the idea of a republican order. Diplomatic peace projects such as William Penn’s international congress and Abbot Saint Pierre’s Project for Perpetual Peace in Europe brought forward the idea of collective security, but did not come into effect. Immanuel Kant’s Perpetual Peace: A Philosophical Essay brought in a new definition of Europe, one which rests on the principle of popular sovereignty. Today, a liberal democratic system is a core requirement of becoming a member of the European Union.

The idea of Europe:

Plovdiv, Bulgaria is considered by some to be the oldest city in Europe. Despite its strong historical roots to Europe, Bulgaria did not become a European Union member state until January 2007. Due to its close proximity to the Soviet Union, the country fell into communist control post-World War II which the EU united partially to defend against. However, after implementing reforms, the augmentation of its market economy, and the acknowledging its commitment to human rights Bulgaria signed the Treaty of Ascension in 2005 after becoming a member of NATO in 2004. Its involvement in NATO demonstrates the county’s commitment to collective security. Furthermore, Bulgaria is a parliamentary republic in which the head of the executive has limited powers. Thus, Bulgaria fulfills the “European” mold, and EU requirement, of having a liberal democratic government.

Bulgaria also is a predominantly Christian nation, with the majority of believers being Bulgarian Orthodox. The nation has been dominated by Christianity since it became the state religion in 865. This ties Bulgaria to the idea of a united, Christian Europe.

One seemingly small, but hugely important way in which Bulgaria is a part of Europe is its desire to be. The European Union is an institution which countries join voluntarily. Bulgaria has proven its dedication to be a part of this united Europe in two main ways. Firstly, the country is currently in the process of joining the Schengen zone, demonstrating a desire to be further incorporated into Europe. Secondly, through its push to join the Eurozone. Currently, Bulgaria uses the lev as currency, but hopes to change this by the end of the year. This demonstrates an economic and political move to integrate more fully into European identity.

Bibliography:

Andrew Glencross. 2014. Politics of European Integration: Political Union or a House Divided?

Wiley-Blackwell.

Silvio Amaro. “Amid Brexit and Rising Populism—there’s still a country that’s desperate to join

the euro,” CNBC, 23 April 2018. https://www.cnbc.com/2018/04/23/bulgaria-the-european-country-still-hoping-to-join-the-euro.html