Неуспехът при изпълнението на мерките за защита на малцинствата
Failure in implementing minority protection measures

Summary/Abstract: This paper explores how key policy changes in the area of minority rights in post-communist Bulgaria have often been confined to the level of legislation or policy formulation, without being followed by implementation. Many policy changes took on the character of window-dressing, being mainly designed to meet the expectations of Western intergovernmental organizations. In the ensuing „virtual reality“ it has often been unclear which legislative or policy changes have taken actual effect. The paper identifies a number of domestic causes of the gulf between formal measures for the protection of minorities and their actual implementation. Key factors were the lack of political will and the lack of public awareness and support. Additional obstacles to the translation of formal policy changes into practice include the lack of institutional capacity, low levels of budgetary funding, and lacking minority involvement in the design and implementation of policies. In order to be effective and sustainable, future political initiatives will need to address these challenges and accompany institutional changes with awareness-raising measures.

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