Case Of Bulgaria Research Articles

Fiscal policy and growth in a small emerging economy: The case of Bulgaria

AbstractThe purpose of this article is to study the impact of fiscal policy on economic growth in Bulgaria for the period 1995–2018. The descriptive analysis is focused on the general trends in fiscal policy and tax structure. The influence of government spending and taxation on economic growth is studied through regressions on time-series data. The empirical estimates prove that taxation is a more reliable instrument of fiscal policy than government spending in terms of a small open emerging-market economy. The dilution of the effect of public spending is probably caused by the high negative values of the current account balance that have been maintained for long periods. Thus, when domestic supply is weak, government expenditure cannot stimulate domestic production, as supply is dominated by import goods. Public investments demonstrate a negative effect on economic growth, which suggests a low productivity of investment spending. A factor of great importance is the level of corruption, which is strongly correlated with government investments, but is harmful to their efficiency. The Bulgarian tax system demonstrates consistency with economic growth. The receipts from value-added tax seems growth-conductive. The decrease of the corporate income tax rate exerts a positive impact on economc performance during the analyzed period, while personal income taxation demonstrates a negative effect. Property taxation has no significant relation with the growth of the Bulgarian economy.

Travel behaviour after the pandemic: the case of Bulgaria

ABSTRACT The paper analyses the travel intentions of tourists in the post-pandemic world. The sample includes 974 respondents from Bulgaria. The findings show that most of the respondents are ready to travel within 2 months after travel is allowed in the country. For their first trip, respondents will travel in the country, by their car and with their family. Hygiene, disinfection and reliable health system in a destination will be the leading factors in travellers’ decisions, according to the findings. Women and older respondents have higher health and safety preferences than do men and younger respondents.

Roma child participation in public health policy and practice across Europe

Roma teenagers are often excluded from participation opportunities, when they could be informing a wide range of law, policy and practice. CoE and EU recommendations make it clear that improvements in living conditions can only be achieved through active participation of Roma people. The 2018 Roma Civil Society Monitoring report reinforces that 'it is essential for Roma to be involved not only in narrowly defined 'Roma issues', but also in a wider range of topics and policies'. We address the question of what methods enable Roma children to become involved in influencing health policy and service design, focusing on the case of Bulgaria. A qualitative European survey (Feb - June 2020) in English, French, Spanish and Bulgarian identified professional perspectives on the impact of COVID-19 on children, with a focus on Roma families. Case studies of Roma children's experiences, and examples of their participation, were analysed of these case studies was conducted by the authors (combining sociological, public health and community perspectives). Accuracy of emergent findings were assessed through dialogue with survey participants. Preliminary results indicate that participatory practices that enable Roma children's participation in designing public health policy, services and responses are limited and pre-existing inequalities are deepening. However relevant isolated examples of inclusive participation were identified: information design, peer-administered questionnaires, arts-based activities, dialogue events, and campaigning in Bulgaria and beyond. Inclusive methods that enable Roma teenagers' engagement in health policy and service design are closely tied to methods used with other communities facing discrimination. However, significant structural barriers, related to economic inequalities and anti-gypsyism are additional barriers faced by some Roma children. International exchange of examples of such practices could inform future health promotion practice.

Optimal fiscal policy in a model with search-and-matching frictions: the case of Bulgaria (1999–2018)

ABSTRACT This paper explores the effects of fiscal policy in an economy with search and matching frictions. To this end, a dynamic general-equilibrium model with government sector is calibrated to Bulgarian data (1999–2018). Two regimes are compared and contrasted – the exogenous (observed) vs. optimal policy (Ramsey) case. The focus of the paper is on the relative importance of consumption vs. income taxation, as well as on the provision of utility-enhancing public services. The main findings from the computational experiments performed in the paper are: (i) The optimal steady-state income tax rate is zero; (ii) The benevolent Ramsey planner provides the optimal amount of the utility-enhancing public services, which are now three times lower; (iii) The optimal steady-state consumption tax needed to finance the optimal level of government spending is , slightly lower than the rate in the exogenous policy case.

A business-cycle model with a modified cash-in-advance feature, government sector and one-period nominal wage contracts: the case of Bulgaria


 
 
 A business-cycle model with a modified cash-in-advance feature, government sector and one-period nominal wage contracts: the case of Bulgaria
 
 

Voice after Exit? Bulgarian Civic Activists between Protest and Emigration

This article belongs to a forthcoming special cluster, “Contention Politics and International Statebuilding in Southeast Europe” guest-edited by Nemanja Džuverovic, Julia Rone and Tom Junes. Historically, civic activists who left their home countries in the wake of protests would either risk disappearing in anonymity or become engaged in political “exile networks.” However, since the outbreak of the “global wave” of protest, the ability of activists to take advantage of freedom of movement and technological advances in social media changed the framework and conditions of such “exile.” This article addresses the question of what happens when protest activists decide to go abroad to study, work, and build a life. We focus in particular on the case of Bulgaria, the fastest shrinking country in the world. On the basis of structured qualitative interviews with Bulgarian activists who have gone abroad in the aftermath of the 2013 Bulgarian protests, we trace how migration and intra-EU mobility affect the political participation of activists, the ways in which they participate, and their diagnoses of the present. In other words, we explore whether one can speak of “exit after voice,” leading in the long run to a decrease in activism. We argue instead that we are witnessing a transformation of the dichotomy “exit-voice” into a more complex scale of forms of protest organization and participation, facilitated by social media and the freedom of movement within the EU. Herein, the real risk might be not that migration leads to political passivity, but that the new “voice” found through the experience abroad remains rather marginal as activists’ networks are transformed and community building becomes a challenge in an increasingly precarious world.

Re-Thinking the Literary Clocks of the World, giving space to time (The Case of Bulgaria)

След постколониалните проучвания и възникването на нови въпроси около световната литература, литературната история вече не може да се ограничи до националната рамка. Проучването на литературното пространство с транснационален и трансдисциплинарен подход отваря плодородни перспективи. В моите изследвания за историята на българското литературно пространство един от въпросите, които ми се струват особено важни, тъй като не са достатъчно изучени, е въпросът за литературната темпоралност. Как можем да избегнем „западноевропейския центризъм“, без да пренебрегваме факта, че Париж, Лондон, Берлин, Ню Йорк са „Литературният Гринуич“(Казанова)? Как можем да съпоставим в глобалното пространство, без да ги сравняваме според тяхното „напредване“ или „изостаналост“, времевите измерения на всяко литературно пространство? Точно това се опитвам да начертая, вливайки география (или дори геология) в литературната история. Since postcolonial studies and the renewal of questions about World literature, literary history can no longer be confined to a national perspective. Addressing the literary fact in a transnational and transdisciplinary approach opens up fertile perspectives. In my research on the history of the Bulgarian literary space, one of the points that seems crucial to me because it has not been sufficiently studied is the question of literary temporality. How can we escape from “Western European centrism” without neglecting the fact that Paris, London, Berlin, New York are the “Literary Greenwich” (Casanova)? How can we put into perspective without compaing them in terms of “advance” or “backwardness” the temporalities of each literary space within the global space? This is what I am trying to sketch by injecting geography (or even geology) into literary history. Depuis les études postcoloniales et le renouvellement des interrogations sur la littérature‑monde, l’histoire littéraire ne peut plus s’en tenir à une perspective nationale. Aborder le fait littéraire dans une approche transnationale et transdisciplinaire ouvre des perspectives fécondes. Dans mes recherches sur l’histoire de l’espace littéraire bulgare, l’un des points qui me semblent cruciaux parce qu’insuffisamment étudiés est la question de la temporalité littéraire. Comment échapper au « centrisme ouest‑européen » sans négliger le fait que Paris, Londres, Berlin, New York soient les « Greenwich littéraires » (Casanova) ? Comment mettre en perspective sans les comparer en termes d’« avance » ou de « retard » les temporalités de chaque espace littéraire au sein de l’espace mondial ? C’est ce que je tente d’esquisser en insufflant de la géographie (voire de la géologie) dans l’histoire littéraire.

Historic analogs of civil confiscation of unexplained wealth – the case of Bulgaria

PurposeUsing Bulgarian legislation on civil confiscation and analysing the nature of the substantive authority to confiscate unexplained wealth, as well as evaluating research in common and continental law, this paper aims to seek historic parallels for non-punitive civil confiscation of unexplained wealth.Design/methodology/approachThe design of this paper is centred on determining whether the substantive authority of the state to confiscate unexplained wealth has a Roman law equivalent. Conducting a review of key elements of the substantive authority for the action in Bulgaria, the research examines the validity of the hypothesis that the right to confiscate has a Roman law equivalent.FindingsThe research supports the position that the substantive authority to seek civil confiscation relief in Bulgaria has its origin in the overarching principle of unjustified enrichment in Roman law. Considering needed adjustments related to the developed demarcation between public and private law in contemporary law, the action to confiscate unexplained wealth in civil proceedings in the case study jurisdiction has its equivalent in the Roman condictio furtiva.Originality/valueThis paper sheds light on the theoretical basis for civil asset confiscation of unexplained wealth in one continental law jurisdiction, thus contributing to the on-going debate on the compatibility of civil confiscation of unexplained wealth with the continental law tradition.

Income Inequality and House Prices - the Case of Bulgaria

During the years of the global crisis in Bulgaria a housing bubble were developed and at the same time our country shows the highest income inequality among the EU countries. The purpouse of the research is to take part on the current debate about the link between income inequality and housing prices and to examine this relationship for Bulgaria. The Gini coefficient and Palma ratio were used as a measure of income inequality, and housing prices are presented in nominal and real terms for the period 2006-2019. The results of the regression analysis show a positive relationship between income inequality and housing prices in all cases, and for the period after the crisis the correlation coefficient is positive and extremely high and equal to 0.9.

Incentive Compatible Relationship between Ermii and Close-Cooperation in the Banking Union: The Case of Bulgaria and Croatia

The ambition to expand participation in the European Banking Union was to allow the outs to enter in to cooperation, however, it did not include the simultaneous joining of ERM II. Focusing on the cases of Bulgaria and Croatia, this paper attempts to respond to a number of questions: What is the rationale behind the double requirement of having to simultaneously apply to become a member of the ERM II and to prepare to become a member of the Banking Union via rule based close mechanism of coordination between the EU non-euro area NCAs and the ECB? Does the integration of cooperation countries' banking systems with the euro area banking systems support the decision to join ERM II and opting-in to the SSM? Do the existing close arrangements guarantee greater coordination of resource-allocating decisions on prudential supervision and improved internalization of financial stability decisions? What are the advantages of the preparation to become a full member of the euro area and the SSM (e.g. coordination of macro and micro-prudential regulation; coordination of micro-prudential supervision and bank resolution)? It is evident from the research undertaken in this paper that there are clear benefits from cooperation for the respective Member States whose domestic currencies are already linked to the euro in view of the dominant position eurozone banks have in their respective domestic markets.

The impact of globalization on the sustainable development of enterprises – the case of Bulgaria, Croatia and Romania

The impact of globalization on the sustainable development of enterprises – the case of Bulgaria, Croatia and Romania

Inequalities and political populism: The case of Bulgaria

The article evaluates and analyses the dynamics of inequalities in Bulgaria during 2010-2020 as quantified by a set of particular indicators including the Gini coefficient, the S80/S20 indicator and the share of income held by the richest five per cent. The article examines the relationship between these inequalities and the growth of a certain type of political rhetoric which the literature clearly categorises as populism and which has been rising in central and eastern Europe as in other places elsewhere. In addition, the most up-to-date theoretical literature on these issues is studied and summarised. Social and macroeconomic shocks evidently affect the development of inequalities and, with the global Covid-19 pandemic, we are in the middle of one such set of shocks. The article concludes that a broad public and expert debate is overdue on the problems of inequalities and the consequences of their growth - namely: the development of populist rhetoric - and that reforms are required to reduce inequalities to within parameters that are more socially acceptable as a means of reducing the incidence of populism.

Travel Behaviour after the Pandemic: The Case of Bulgaria

The paper analyses the travel intentions of tourists in the post-pandemic world. The sample includes 974 respondents from Bulgaria. The findings show that most of the respondents are ready to travel within two months after travel is allowed in the country. For their first trip, respondents will travel in the country, by their car and with their family. Hygiene, disinfection and reliable health system in a destination will be the leading factors in travellers’ decisions, according to the findings. Women and older respondents have higher health and safety preferences than do men and younger respondents.

Incentive Compatible Relationship between ERM II and Close-Cooperation in the Banking Union: The Case of Bulgaria and Croatia

Incentive Compatible Relationship between ERM II and Close-Cooperation in the Banking Union: The Case of Bulgaria and Croatia

Energy-related policy in the housing sector of Bulgaria: in search for a meeting point of social and technical dimensions

Understanding the way in which a policy framework put into action supports or hampers stakeholders’ energy-related action in the field of housing renovation could provide meaningful insight on needed respect for stakeholders’ needs, expectations, motivations and capacity for action. The paper presents a study undertaken on the case of Bulgaria as part of ongoing ECHOES research project (EU-funded under the Horizon 2020 Program). It discusses the complex challenges faced in linking policy and technical to social and cultural considerations in renovating the existing residential stock in Bulgaria while meeting energy-efficiency requirements with an explicit focus on predominant apartment buildings in multiple ownership. The refurbishment process requires, on one hand, considerable investment, which is in most cases hardly accessible for the homeowners; on the other hand, collective decision-making with numerous stakeholders involved, often with diverse social and economic status. The presented two national case studies illustrate two alternative approaches applied – one searching to benefit from the national energy market peculiarities, and the other taking the opportunities provided by European and national grant schemes introduced in the country. Based on contacts and semi-structured interviews with various actors involved in the two initiatives, the dynamics of the situation throughout the projects’ life cycle sand and in the longer term and the changing personal estimations of costs and benefits are analysed. Conclusions are drawn about the importance of continuity in implemented energy-related policies. The authors claim that specific paths to EU energy policy goals under varying economic, technical and sociocultural context should be well continually informed by comprehensive interdisciplinary research.

Cross-Cultural Distance in the EU: The Case of Bulgaria

The empirical study of societal culture (GLOBE methodology) of Bulgaria, a country still on periphery of mainstream comparative studies, positioned it in the European Union’s cross-cultural space w...

Debates over Dirigisme during the 1930s: The Case of Bulgaria

:During the 1930s and early 1940s, the problems of economic dirigisme and its theoretical analysis attracted the attention of Bulgarian economists. To some extent, it was compensation for the fact that they missed the socialist calculation debate of the interwar period. Their analyses were placed within the framework of a demand and supply core, combined with various other theoretical approaches. The Bulgarian academic economists identified a number of problems associated with the long-term functioning of the regulated economy: impossibility of the state apparatus to control spontaneous market forces by means of governmental regulation, inherent administrative constraints for government and public officials to introduce and control strict and conscientious implementation of all the laws and normative acts of the system of economic dirigisme, etcetera. A new theory of international trade was developed, the author of which attempted to break away from the old-fashioned labor theory of value. The main content of his concept lies in the claim that protectionism, in certain cases, may have positive economic consequences.

An Approach for Survey of the Sustainable Development at Regional Level: Case of Bulgaria

Abstract Many national and EU strategies and documents put targets that will lead to a positive change for people and better life. For examples, the EU 2020 strategy assess the progress by indicators focused on employment, investment in research and development, education, energy efficient and risk of poverty. The system for monitoring of sustainable development in Bulgaria includes 56 indicators grouped in ten key areas such as socio-economic development, sustainable consumption and production, social inclusion, demographic changes, public health, sustainable transport, natural resources, global partnership and good governance. But at regional level, these sets of indicators are difficult to apply by many reasons. The aim of research was testing of an approach for survey of the sustainable development of a territorial unit. A complex index for assessment of sustainable development of territorial units was design by set of significant indicators, which evaluate socio-economic conditions for life and development in the territorial unit. The approach and the index were applied for survey of NUTS 3 level regions in Bulgaria, according the EU legislation, by using the last available official data of the National Statistical Institute of Bulgaria. Benefits of the approach using were summarized.

Media corruption and issues of journalistic and institutional integrity in post-communist countries: The case of Bulgaria

From a normative standpoint the media are usually seen as one of the pillars of a national integrity system, entrusted with the tasks of exposing and preventing acts of corruption and educating the public of the harm caused by corruption. Nevertheless, corruption continues to be one of the most significant challenges that Europe faces, undermining citizens' trust in democratic institutions and weakening the accountability of political leadership. Evidence suggests that in fragile EU democracies such as Bulgaria, despite more than eight years of full membership and numerous preventive measures, corruption is rife and the press is hardly capable of exposing abuses of power or authority. On the contrary - drawing on in-depth interviews with 35 Bulgarian journalists - this paper argues that since communism collapsed in the late 1980s the media in post-communist societies such as Bulgaria has gradually become an instrument to promote and defend private vested interests, and is plagued by corruption. Senior journalists and editors cast serious doubt over the ability of the post-communist free press and journalism to act as a watchdog for society.

Turkey and Saudi Arabia as Theo-Political Actors in the Balkans: The Case of Bulgaria

Turkey and Saudi Arabia as Theo-Political Actors in the Balkans: The Case of Bulgaria