Bulgarien sechs Jahre nach dem EU-Beitritt
Bulgaria – Six Years after Its Accession to the European Union

Summary/Abstract: The article of the Vice-President of Bulgaria is based on a speech delivered at the General Assembly of the Southeast Europe Association on 9 February 2013 at Bochum. Despite of all disillusionment about the delayed transformation process in Bulgaria, the country has fundamentally changed. It is the disciplinary effect of integration that has found widespread recognition within the Bulgarian public. Therefore, for Bulgaria, there is no alternative to EU membership. The present crisis in the EU is mostly a consequence of compromises without principles and corrupt practices. There is no alternative to deep and thorough reforms of the judiciary, internal affairs and human rights. The democratization of post-totalitarian systems is not only a matter of formal harmonization, but rather of a radical change of mindset and of sustainable application of legal standards. More specifically, organized crime must not be allowed to establish as a legitimate economic and political principle. In the 21st century, organized crime and corruption may only be tackled by a co-ordinate action throughout the EU. This again necessitates further political integration. European integration is seen as an indispensable process for the whole of Southeast Europe. It must be based on the determination of political elites to overcome totalitarian reflexes and prejudices and follow European principles and norms.

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