Политически изследвания Брой 1-2, 2020

The reality of global risks is a condition to which humanity has adapted from the end of World War II to the present day. The state of total global war was replaced by the fear of a nuclear apocalypse. The great ideological and economic rivalry of the Cold War has been replaced by pervasive globalization, which, along with its pros, has come with many risks. The financial, economic, and humanitarian crises around the world are a clear evidence of this. Pandemics were left out of political analysis, even though the threat of a pandemic has been growingin recent years. This article analyses the changes that are taking place in the political system because of the pandemic threat. Political reaction is becoming the new reality, produced by a real risk to the population, which significantly affects its health status. This necessitates a more careful analysis of the emerging pandemic dystopia and the transformation of political reality.

The article is an attempt to conceptualize the escalating political crisis in the since 7th July 2020. This is the most significant domestic political crisis of a structural-functional type, after the landmark for the Bulgarian transition, crisis of 1996-1997. The research interest is also provoked by the fact that the current attempt for a radical political change is taking place in the context of the WHO-declared global pandemic of COVID-19. By itself, the pandemic could be categorized as a symbolic-propaganda crisis. On one hand, it is both an environment (domestic and international) for the manifestation of the political crisis, and on the other hand, it could be considered as a kind of “trigger”. This synchronous “superimposition” of crises of different order and nature necessitates a critical rethinking of the typological classification of domestic political crises developed by the author more than ten years ago. This is the main purpose of the article.

This article examines how the situation in the world and the tactical and strategic responses to the Coronavirus pandemic affect the EU’s aspiration for unity (of action and messages) and its active presence in the international field. Was the European reaction flexible and balanced enough? Did Europe exit stronger after the challenge? Specific emphasis is placed on the analysis of whether and to what extent the Coronavirus made senseless the so called “European values” or, conversely, stressed even more clearly the need for European solidarity in the recovery process.

The paper deals with the interaction of two processes in the European politics: the expansion of the radical right and the outburst of the COVID-19 pandemic. The influential interpretation that the first stage of the coronacrisishas registered the radical right’s failure to use the pandemic politically, is being examined. The text tries to demonstrate that the radical right’s inconsistency and ineffectiveness are genuine, but they do not thwart the classical agenda of ultranationalism, antiliberalism, populism and traditionalism and their reaffirmation in these new conditions. Moreover, the governmental responses to the pandemic in Europe encourage the radical right’s penetration in a new paradoxical field, the defence of democracy. It is concluded that the first months of 2020 have not eroded the ideological potential of this part of the political spectrum and consequently have not destroyed its chances for political rise without predetermining them.

The COVID-19 hospital crisis shines attention to municipalities’ governance needs and specifics. An attempt for analysis through approaches from political science, public administration and regional economy and research has been made. On the theoretical level the paper presents, grounds for a territorial governance approach, guided by local and regional interests. The conclusions are mainly theoretical but are also applicable in the field of interaction between strategic documents at the local level. The conducted comparative analysis of strategic documents of two comparable municipalities serves to illustrate the reached theoretical and applied conclusions. The hypothesis whether there is no interaction between the municipal development plans and the mayors’ political programs was tested in two case-studies. The results are used to prove the thesis that the lack of such interaction is a condition for a problem in local government and development and a prerequisite for risks and crises in different sectors at the local level. This assumption is considered through a specific policy sector - healthcare, given the relevance of the topic during the pandemic.

The crisis in 2020, as any crisis, brought many problems but also created opportunities in various areas of human life. In the field of politics, the crisis provided different opportunities for oppositional political actors in Bulgaria to be an alternative to the government, which is incapable of dealing with the biggest social problems, multiplied by the crisis. Chances, however, must be “caught”. If the opposition is not able to make the right decisions in the context of contemporary events, it will lose that political game undoubtedly. Even if, the opposition has all the necessary qualities and the necessary circumstances are there, the essence is contained in the right and prompt decisions.

This article traces the emergence and development of another major political crisis in the Republic of Northern Macedonia, as well as the options for overcoming it as a result of the parliamentary elections and the process offorming a new government. This is a continuous cycle, referred as “stability in instability”. Overcoming the crisis will not be enough, but rather will lead to another situation of “stability in instability”. Moreover, the pandemic caused by COVID–19 prolongs the crisis but does not play a fundamental role regarding the (in)stability of the political system in our southwestern neighbour.

The enlargement of the European Union (EU) is an absolute priority for most of the member-states and the EU institutions, as it is seen as the main guarantor of peace, security and stability on the continent. At the same time, reaching a consensus regarding the enlargement policy towards the countries from the Western Balkans turns out to be particularly difficult. In response to the challenges in the efforts to reach an agreement, the European Commission has published a new “enlargement methodology”, according to which the candidates will not only need to synchronise their legislations with the EU standards, but they must show real results and reforms. This declaration by itself proves the existence of a recognised problem with the current approach to enlargement and the need for a radical change due to its unsuitability. The fragile consensus on this new agenda also shows that the enlargement policy has yet to be developed, changed and improved. In this context, the lessons learnt from the Eastern enlargement become particularly valuable.

The text introduces to the expert positions and opinions of Transparency International – Bulgaria, the national representation of the international anticorruption organization Transparency International regarding bills addressing the issues of financing political activities and holding elections in Bulgaria.

Становище на Асоциация „Прозрачност без граници“ относно промените в Закона за държавния бюджет, регламентиращи финансирането на политическите партии ипредизборните кампании

Становище на Асоциация „Прозрачност без граници“ по Конституционно дело №13/17.09.2019 г. относно промени в Закона за политическите партии и в Изборния кодекс, регламентиращи финансирането на политическите партии и предизборните кампании

Politics / Political Sciences, Politics, Public Administration, Public Law