„ВРАГОВЕ“ И „ПАТРИОТИ“ ОТВЪД БЕРЛИНСКАТА СТЕНА: НРБ И БЪЛГАРСКАТА ДИАСПОРА В ЗАПАДНА ЕВРОПА
“ENEMIES” AND “PATRIOTS” BEYOND THE BERLIN WALL: PEOPLE’S REPUBLIC OF BULGARIA AND THE BULGARIAN DIASPORA IN WESTERN EUROPE

Summary/Abstract: This paper presents a brief overview of the topic of relations and links between People’s Republic of Bulgaria and the Bulgarian diaspora in Western Europe during the Cold War. The policy of socialist Bulgaria to the Bulgarians abroad was based on political selection and was conducted through orchestrated contacts. In the context of the Cold War the migrants in the countries of the West were divided into “enemy” and “patriotic” (loyal) “emigration” in accordance with their attitude toward the communist regime. During the late socialism the regime in Sofia used more actively the “patriotic” arsenal to attract and use for its own purposes the so-called “Bulgarian colonies” in the “non-socialist countries”. But the ideological and political boundaries in the state policy were preserved. The topicis developed in view of the great importance of the issue of external migrations and relations with the diaspora for Bulgaria nowadays.

• Details
• Contents