CEEOL - Browse Subjects Result

We kindly inform you that, as long as the subject affiliation of our 300.000+ articles is in progress, you might get unsufficient or no results on your third level or second level search. In this case, please broaden your search criteria.

Преосмисляне на следващите седем на Европейския съюз

Author(s): Ingrid Shikova / Language(s): Bulgarian Publication Year: 0

Попитан от млад журналист какво може да провали правителствената програма, британският министър-председател Харолд Макмилън (1957-1963 г.) отговорил кратко: “Събитията, скъпо момче, събитията!” Наистина събитията, които връхлитат непредвидено, създават най-сериозните проблеми. Според календара 2020 г. трябваше да бъде празнична година за Европа - 75 години от разгрома на нацистите във Втората световна война, 70 години от декларацията на Робер Шуман, която постави началото на сегашния Европейски съюз, 35 години от подписването на Шенгенското споразумение за свободното движение и създаване на Европа без граници.

More...

Пораснали ли сме за следващите седем?

Author(s): Rumyana Grozeva / Language(s): Bulgarian Publication Year: 0

The first 7 years are the most important. But is that enough? Undoubtedly, the future of our planet, the “greening” of thinking and action is very important. But should it be done this way? EU policies must not be an absolute end in itself. Staring at “mantras” - too. The future of a community of 27 different cultures, mentality, history, goes through constructive communication and cooperation.

More...

Демократичен дефицит или демоикратична легитимност? Към нова понятийна рамка на Европейския съюз

Author(s): Svetoslav Malinov / Language(s): Bulgarian Publication Year: 0

„Democratic deficit” is used as an umbrella concept covering a wide range of criticisms against the European Union (EU) as undemocratic or insufficiently democratic. The article reveals the logical unsustainability of the concept by demonstrating that it is a result of the so called “fallacy of false analogy”; in our case it is due to a wrong analogy between the EU and the modern democratic state (MDD). This rejection opens the debate about the necessity to create a new vocabulary for describing the functioning of the EU since the available one is deeply entrenched in the theory of the MDD. Several elements of this new conceptual framework -- demoicracy, policy-politics, output legitimacy etc., -- are introduced and applied.

More...

Towards а Disintegrated Europe: A Literature Review in аn International Context

Author(s): Svetla Boneva / Language(s): English Publication Year: 0

The objective of the research is to summarise and present the main visions, notions and attempts for construction of theoretical frames of the contemporary disintegration processes in the European Union which are evident in the pre-Brexit and Brexit periods. The research methods used in the study involve elements of retrospective analysis, induction and deduction, analysis and synthesis, comparative and content analysis, table presentation and generalization of the main ideas of key research works on European disintegration. This is a conceptual study and a posteriori research approach has been followed for its development. The result of the research is an overview of the recent literature sources and major studies on the topic of EU disintegration in a comparative plan. The main conclusion of the research is that there are many different reasons for dissatisfaction from the European Union among its member states. Unquestionably it’s difficult to always find the best balance and the right crossing point between all countries economic, political, social and environmental interests. Many authors find the growing dissatisfaction from the EU as the ground for future EU disintegration.

More...

Is Democracy the Only “Game in Town” in Post-Truth Europe?

Author(s): Lyubomir Stefanov / Language(s): English Publication Year: 0

Just a decade ago democracy was the sine qua non of the EU. Combined with rule of law and market economy it stood for the quintessence of the Union. However, post-truth politics struck recently the so-called democratic Euro-Atlantic community and everything changed literally overnight. People started wondering, especially in the aftermath of the economic crisis from 2008 whether their leaders and elites are underperforming or just collaborating to become richer by stealing from the states they govern. State-capture of unseen kind became the word of the day of numerous post-truth apologetics. Populism marched relentlessly across Europe, while authoritarianism and strong non-democratic leadership suddenly looked competitive to the long-deliberating and tolerant democracy. So, the question in mind is as following: is democracy just going through a period of self-actualisation and rediscovery of its virtues or it has become redundant in the eyes of the majority of the Europeans? Through broad and general comparative analysis, the paper will attempt to contribute to the ongoing debate of what is the nature of the crisis in the representative government model of modern-day democracy across Europe. By outlining some features in the existing models, it will give a perspective to the possible developments in the near future.

More...

Ефектът от напускането на Обединеното кралство за Съвета на ЕС: Институционални и политически последствия

Author(s): Dimitar Lilkov / Language(s): Bulgarian Publication Year: 0

On 31 January 2020 the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland officially left the European Union and its representatives are no longer part of the decision-making process of the European institutions. The current report analyses the anticipated effect from the UK‘s departure on the functioning of the Council of the EU and the potential consequences on the internal voting dynamic and coalition-building patterns within the institution. The paper finds that the bigger member states will be the likely ‘winners’ from Brexit as their relative voting weight will increase during qualified majority voting procedures. The withdrawal of the UK also marks the departure of the country which has traditionally registered the most vehement opposition to legislative proposals in the Council within the decade before the 2016 Brexit referendum. This has specific long-term implications for internal coalition-building and also opens possibilities for further European integration in certain limited policy areas such as budgetary matters, as well as security and defence policy.

More...

Macedonian EU Perspective: Window of Challenge or Opportunity

Author(s): Hristina Runcheva-Tasev / Language(s): English Publication Year: 0

The paper analyses the Macedonian approach towards the EU integration process and the latest updates on EU enlargement. Namely, after a decade of positive recommendations by the European Commission for opening accession negotiations, the Macedonian EU perspective was encouraged by the Council that has finally decided to launched them in March 2020. During this period, for more than ten years, Macedonian authorities faced the challenge of maintaining a level of interest in the European prospects of the country without receiving many positive signals that the integration will happen in reasonable timeframe. Still Macedonian political reality is more than complex: Prespa Agreement was expected to accelerate the development of relations with the Union after the name dispute with Greece has been closed, but new challenges have been imposed for the country’s European future.

More...

Future of Europe. Between Remarkable Aspirations and Crucial Reforms

Author(s): Georgiana Ciceo / Language(s): English Publication Year: 0

The numerous challenges faced by the European Union today from Brexit or the rise in popularity of populist parties, to reinforced West-East as well as North South divisions or querying the democratic values, in particular the European ones, or a drift towards a kind of nationalism resistant to a deeper European integration have made necessary a new underpinning of the internal unity and solidarity. Against this background the 60th anniversary of the signing of the Treaty of Rome was used as an opportunity to reaffirm the dedication to working together and open a continent-wide discussion on the future of the European Union. The idea of the form that the European Union will take in the near future has begun to emerge with the White Paper dedicated to this subject, launched by the European Commission. The 5 scenarios that represent the Commission’s contribution to the new European chapter were not a product of the imagination, but a highlight of the continuous reaffirmation of trust in the Union. They represent a commitment to further working together, albeit in some cases at a different pace, towards the advancement of European integration. This contribution aims to assess the state of the current debate on the future of Europe and to outline the main directions of the present discussion.

More...

Европейските избори през 2019: Ограничения в анализа на медийното съдържание онлайн в България

Author(s): Mariya Yurukova,Iglika Ivanova,Bozhidar Angueloff / Language(s): Bulgarian Publication Year: 0

The right to information is a fundamental right in any democratic state under the rule of law. From this point of view, the follow-up and analysis of the electoral campaigns of the candidates for members of the European parliament in social media and the coverage of online media where information spreads faster and with less stringent controls are of paramount importance. The 2019 European elections were accompanied with extra caution and with measures from the European Union concerning the information crisis identified in the last few years. This paper aims at presenting the limitations in the analysis of online media content in Bulgaria, and it gives specific recommendations classified according to their subject that could improve the conditions for online media analysis in Bulgaria. Here are the five tasks of the report. First, to present the research project. Second, to make a comparative analysis of the existing studies on this topic. Third, to define and classify the main limitations and the specifics in the analysis of media content online in relation to the 2019 European elections and in particular to: 1) define the criteria and model in the selection of the analysed media; 2) to follow and systematise the challenges concerning the access to media content and 3) to present the main limitations based on the juxtaposition between the media observed.

More...

After the Election – Before the New Start. The European Union in Transition

Author(s): Eckart D. Stratenschulte / Language(s): English Publication Year: 0

Report by Prof. Dr. Eckart D. Stratenschulte Chairman of the Executive board of the German National Foundation, on the outcomes of the recent European Parliament elections.

More...

Идва ли краят на популистката вълна в ЕС?

Author(s): Dimitar Pehlivanov / Language(s): Bulgarian Publication Year: 0

The forthcoming elections to the European Parliament are extremely important considering the timing and current state of the European Union. The mandate of the outgoing parliament has witnessed many trends that make it increasingly difficult to govern the Union.

More...

Демократични инструменти на ЕС след 2020: възможно ли е преодоляване на дефицита на легитимност?

Author(s): Linka Toneva-Metodieva / Language(s): Bulgarian Publication Year: 0

This article reviews the main theories of the EU's democratic legitimacy: 1) those focusing on deficits "at the entrance" of the political process (transparency, open access, participation, public debate, accountability) and 2) those focusing on deficits "at the exit” (effective policies, maintaining sustainable growth of socio-economic development). On this basis, the text proposes an overview of two present tools on EU-level for accountability and citizen participation in decision-making - the Transparency Register and the European Citizens' Initiative, in the context of recent regulatory and functional changes. The report concludes on the potential of these two instruments (and similar ones) to build on the democratic legitimacy of the EU and to be the basis for developing policies that will gain the trust of European citizens.

More...

Диалогът с гражданите за бъдещето на Европейския съюз – резултати и въпросителни

Author(s): Gergana Radoykova / Language(s): Bulgarian Publication Year: 0

The aim of this report is to assess the results of the ambitious initiative for dialogue with the European citizens in the light of the debate on the withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the EU and the key elections to the European Parliament.

More...

The EU’s Enlargement Fifteen Years Ago and Now: Declining Credibility and Positive Dynamics?

Author(s): Antoaneta Dimitrova / Language(s): English Publication Year: 0

I would like to start by congratulating the Department of European Studies of Sofia University with its twentieth anniversary and its contribution to the development of European studies in Bulgaria and even more so to the development of a European Bulgaria. Professor Shikova, its founder and driving force, has been involved with Bulgaria’s bid to join the EU from its very beginning and has helped many of us understand the process better and launch research into European Union policies and institutions. This is a great moment to thank her in person and acknowledge her great contribution.

More...

Разширяването на Европейския съюз в геополитически контекст

Author(s): Sonia Hinkova / Language(s): Bulgarian Publication Year: 0

This article analyses the geopolitical dimensions of the EU enlargement. Various factors and processes are studied through the theory of international relations while applying the systematic approach. As per this approach the structure of the modern international environment and its transition towards polycentrism is examined in this paper.

More...

Perspectives of the European Enlargement Process – Between Reform and Crisis

Author(s): Andrej Lepavcov / Language(s): English Publication Year: 0

The European Union has gone through several crises in the past decade, which showed the divides and the need for reforms. The enlargement process did not stop, but is slowed due to the level of preparedness of the Western Balkans counties and the lack of consensus between the EU Member States. Additional concerns are present due to the different views of the largest members stated and their calls for a multi-speed Europe. The space for enlargement which would be left for the new EU Commission is getting narrow, in times where the EU elections and Brexit are raising tensions and uncertainty. What should be the answer of the Western Balkans countries?

More...

Евразийският икономически съюз – конкуренция на Европейския съюз в района на Източното партньорство

Author(s): Marieta Rabohchiyska / Language(s): Bulgarian Publication Year: 0

Following the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, Russia was intensively seeking ways to reunite the newly independent republics. Six of them (Armenia, Georgia, Azerbaijan, Ukraine, Moldova and Belarus) are part of the Eastern Partnership initiative launched by the European Union in 2009 in the broader context of its neighbourhood policy. President Putin's ambition to reintegrate part of the post-Soviet space is reflected in the Eurasian Economic Union (EES), established in January 2015, a new form of economic cooperation between Russia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Armenia and Kyrgyzstan modelled on the European Union with the aim of establishing Eurasian internal market. Or perhaps it is an attempt of Eurasian integration and even its deepening?

More...

Brexit Metaphors: Understanding Britain’s Relationship with Europe Through Mental Shortcuts

Author(s): Georgi Iliev / Language(s): English Publication Year: 0

Between 2017 and 2019, the author has created over 400 original metaphors to describe various aspects of the UK-EU relationship and the Brexit process. These topics are explored in 161 published blog articles on www.BrexitMetaphors. blogspot.com, which cover several broad themes: economic, political, historical, geographical and socio-cultural. In the present paper, the meaning of the metaphors is elaborated in brackets where it is not obvious. Metaphors are exceptionally useful both to illustrate to an audience (explain and help to understand) and to influence an audience (consciously and unconsciously). “The metaphor is perhaps one of man's most fruitful potentialities. Its efficacy verges on magic…”, said Ortega y Gasset. It is a thinking tool, along the lines of the definition of philosopher Daniel Dennett: “You cannot do much carpentry with your bare hands and you cannot do much thinking with your bare brain.” Thus, the metaphor is a useful mental model, a mental shortcut. At the same time, the burden of proof in designing a metaphor is low as any claims for similarities are alluded to, rather than stated outright, and the degree of parallelism may vary significantly. Therefore, it is often applied as a powerful tool of manipulation, e.g. in the articles of British Brexiteer politician Boris Johnson in The Sunday Times.

More...

Overcoming Bilateral Disputes as Part of the EU Accession Process

Author(s): Vasko Naumovski / Language(s): English Publication Year: 0

Bilateral disputes have presented a significant obstacle for EU enlargement, especially in the region of South-Eastern Europe. The disputes between Slovenia and Croatia, Macedonia and Greece, Turkey and Greece/Cyprus demonstrated the need for a more cohesive approach in order to avoid situations where bilateral issues could pose a threat to the enlargement policy. Moreover, future enlargement rounds may be endangered by additional disputes – Croatia and Serbia, Serbia and Kosovo, Albania and Serbia, etc. Historical, cultural and political issues often favour national interests, while the common European interest remains neglected. The idea for a “Europe whole, free and at peace” can be realized only with the necessary political will and courage, strong determination for completion of the European project, and continuous commitment to the process that has brought benefits to millions of European – the enlargement. Instead of maintaining the fear of “importing conflicts”, the EU is the most appropriate actor that can contribute to solve them, using all the tools available in the accession process. Lessons learned, existing challenges, as well as potential outcomes are analyzed in this paper.

More...

The Challenges of Secularism and European Integration (The North Macedonian Case)

Author(s): Aleksandar Spasenovski / Language(s): English Publication Year: 0

The separation of the Socialist Republic of Macedonia from the Socialist Federative Republic of Yugoslavia happened in the light of the major tectonic movements in the former European socialist/communist countries in the last decades of the 20th century, as a result of series internal political, economic and social conditions and circumstances. With regard to the SFRY, these processes brought to the surface some conservative myths of constituent nations, which in the process of transition of the constitutional and political systems have built, on the foundation of these premises, new top priorities – national states with a democratic order, free and competitive entrepreneurship, market economy and commerce, political and social pluralism in accordance with the standards of the developed west-European democracies. Having in mind the opposing constitutional concepts, the one that was falling apart vis-à-vis the one that was to be created, and under the pressure from major global trends, the process of a forceful collapse of the former Yugoslavia was initiated, which resulted in the formation of today's Macedonia as a sovereign, independent and democratic country which stood for full observing of the common democratic principles of the international law contained in the UN acts, as well as in the documents of the other international, European and regional organizations. By installing the new constitutional, legal and political order, Macedonia was to respond to the challenges of the new age.

More...