Bugarska tranzicija: generacijski diskurs
Bulgarian Transition: Generational Discourse

Summary/Abstract: Age is a factor in the struggle for power. It affects relationships of politicians, their alliances and oppositions as well as public perceptions. This rule especially ap- plies to state socialism and the subsequent transition to democracy. Personal power, characteristic of Eastern Bloc countries during the time of L. Brezhnev, led to a proc- ess of geriatrization of party and state power. In the beginning of 1984 USSR was ruled by K. Chernenko (born 1911), Bulgaria – by T. Zhivkov (born 1911), Hungary – by J. Kadar (1912), DDR – by E. Honecker (1912), Czechoslovakia – by G. Husak (1913). When M. Gorbachev (born 1931) came to power and perestroika commenced, generational changes took place. Bulgarian transition, which started as an attempt for restructuring, brought forward the generation of people born in the 1930-ies. In 1990 the socialist P. Mladenov (1936) became the country’s president, later replaced by Z. Zhelev (born 1935). V. Valkov (1936) was the leader of BANU. Transition quickly worn politicians out. Only a year later the ex-communist party was led by J. Videnov (1959), the anti-communist UDF – by F. Dimitrov (1955), and MRF, based mainly on ethnic voters – by A. Dogan (1954). F. Dimitrov and J. Videnov successively became prime ministers. In both cases the lack of governance expertise in the complex transi- tional situation caused their terms of office to be terminated prematurely. There fol- lowed generational correction in cadre selection. Transition has a specific generational logic, which is characterized by the opportunity of fast career rise, sharp change of generations and quick wear. If revolution eats its children, then the reform makes them obsolete. Transformation of the Balkans “from periphery of the East to new periphery of the West”, as accurately defined by Prof. L. Mitrovic, has its “little secrets” in gen- erational relations.

• Details
• Contents