Governance In Bulgaria Research Articles

Book Review: Comparative Politics: Ethnonationalist Conflict in Postcommunist States: Varieties of Governance in Bulgaria, Macedonia and Kosovo

Book Review: Comparative Politics: Ethnonationalist Conflict in Postcommunist States: Varieties of Governance in Bulgaria, Macedonia and Kosovo

Maria Koinova, Ethnonationalist Conflict in Postcommunist States. Varieties of Governance in Bulgaria, Macedonia and Kosovo

Article Maria Koinova, Ethnonationalist Conflict in Postcommunist States. Varieties of Governance in Bulgaria, Macedonia and Kosovo was published on January 1, 2015 in the journal Comparative Southeast European Studies (volume 63, issue 1).

Ethnonationalist Conflict in Post-Communist States: Varieties of Governance in Bulgaria, Macedonia, and Kosovo. By Maria Koinova. National and Ethnic Conflict in the Twentieth Century. Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press, 2013. x, 314 pp. Notes. Bibliography. Index. Figures. Maps. $69.95, hard bound.

Ethnonationalist Conflict in Post-Communist States: Varieties of Governance in Bulgaria, Macedonia, and Kosovo. By Maria Koinova. National and Ethnic Conflict in the Twentieth Century. Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press, 2013. x, 314 pp. Notes. Bibliography. Index. Figures. Maps. $69.95, hard bound.

MariaKoinova, Ethnonationalist Conflict in Postcommunist States. Varieties of Governance in Bulgaria, Macedonia, and Kosovo. Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press, 2013, 314pp. £45.50 (hbk).

MariaKoinova, Ethnonationalist Conflict in Postcommunist States. Varieties of Governance in Bulgaria, Macedonia, and Kosovo. Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press, 2013, 314pp. £45.50 (hbk).

MariaKoinovaEthnonationalist Conflict in Postcommunist States: Varieties of Governance in Bulgaria, Macedonia, and KosovoPhiladelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press, 2013, 328 pp. £45.50 hbk

MariaKoinovaEthnonationalist Conflict in Postcommunist States: Varieties of Governance in Bulgaria, Macedonia, and KosovoPhiladelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press, 2013, 328 pp. £45.50 hbk

Koinova, Maria. Ethnonationalist Conflict in Postcommunist States: Varieties of Governance in Bulgaria, Macedonia and Kosovo (review)

Koinova, Maria. Ethnonationalist Conflict in Postcommunist States: Varieties of Governance in Bulgaria, Macedonia and Kosovo (review)

Engineering an Opportunity: Romaniuk Fights for Her Dreams

If someone had told Antoanna Romaniuk 30 years ago that she'd one day work for a national government, she might have been skeptical. Involved with political dissidents as a student in the late 1970s and early 1980s, Romaniuk actively worked against the governments of Bulgaria and Poland to bring about political change, at one time finding herself stateless. Determined to create a better situation for herself and her family, Romaniuk took her life down a different path and now resides in the Maryland/Washington, D.C., area, working as a systems engineer on contracts with the U.S. Department of Defense.

Book review: Ethnonationalist conflict in postcommunist states: Varieties of governance in Bulgaria, Macedonia, and Kosovo

Book review: Ethnonationalist conflict in postcommunist states: Varieties of governance in Bulgaria, Macedonia, and Kosovo

Ethnonationalist conflict in postcommunist states: varieties of governance in Bulgaria, Macedonia, and Kosovo

Ethnonationalist Conflict in Postcommunist States investigates why some Eastern European states transitioned to new forms of governance with minimal violence while others broke into civil war. In Bulgaria, the Turkish minority was subjected to coerced assimilation and forced expulsion, but the nation ultimately negotiated peace through institutional channels. In Macedonia, periodic outbreaks of insurgent violence escalated to armed conflict. Kosovo's internal warfare culminated in NATO's controversial bombing campaign. In the twenty-first century, these conflicts were subdued, but violence continued to flare occasionally and impede durable conflict resolution. In this comparative study, Maria Koinova applies historical institutionalism to conflict analysis, tracing ethnonationalist violence in postcommunist states to a volatile, formative period between 1987 and 1992. In this era of instability, the incidents that brought majorities and minorities into dispute had a profound impact and a cumulative effect, as did the interventions of international agents and kin states. Whether the conflicts initially evolved in peaceful or violent ways, the dynamics of their disputes became self-perpetuating and informally institutionalized. Thus, external policies or interventions could affect only minimal change, and the impact of international agents subsided over time. Regardless of the constitutions, laws, and injunctions, majorities, minorities, international agents, and kin states continue to act in accord with the logic of informally institutionalized conflict dynamics. Koinova analyzes the development of those dynamics in Bulgaria, Macedonia, and Kosovo, drawing on theories of democratization, international intervention, and path-dependence as well as interviews and extensive fieldwork. The result is a compelling account of the underlying causal mechanisms of conflict perpetuation and change that will shed light on broader patterns of ethnic violence.

Analysing the Transformation of Higher Education Governance in Bulgaria and Lithuania

Drawing on sociological neo-institutional theory and models of higher education governance, we examine current developments in Bulgaria and Lithuania and explore to what extent those developments were shaped by the Bologna reform. We analyse to what extent the state has moved away from a model of state-centred policy design and control to a model of governance based on the ‘evaluative state’ Neave (1998), in which the state ensures ‘product control’ and promotes competition and quality. To do so, we look, in particular, at funding policy and the emergence of a system of quality assurance. To conclude, we examine whether the governance patterns of both countries have converged and identify the factors accounting for potential variations.

The Final Solution in Bulgaria and Romania: A Comparative Perspective

Accounts of the Final Solution in Bulgaria and Romania often stress the differences between the two countries, attributing Bulgaria's relatively low victimization rate (18 percent) and Romania's relatively high one (approximately 50 percent) to differing levels of anti-Semitism or local attitudes toward Jews. This article argues that, broken down by region, Bulgaria and Romania were actually quite similar, in that both countries participated in the victimization of Jews in newly acquired territories while protecting those in the “home country.” By investigating the complex negotiations between Nazi Germany and local officials in each of these countries, the author shows that because of their close alliance with Nazi Germany (and not despite this), the governments of Bulgaria and Romania were both able to protect their own Jewish citizens. Both countries essentially traded loyalty in military and economic affairs for concessions, delays, and limitations in the Final Solution. This observation has fascinating moral implications, since it suggests that countries could only protect their own citizens by cooperating with Nazi Germany. It also illustrates that far from being passive subjects of coercion, weak states in imperial relationships can actually bargain to change the terms of their own subjugation. Imperial hegemony is partly a product of negotiation and international contracting, not unmitigated coercion.

The impact of EU accession on corporate governance reform in Bulgaria

Since the start of its post-socialist transformation in 1989, Bulgaria has imported a large number of formal institutions from advanced market economies, including the EU-15. However, the adoption of EU and other international rules has not been effective due to weak enforcement and application by domestic actors such as the securities regulator, courts, and company owners/managers. The failures of corporate governance in Bulgaria until the early 2000s can be attributed to the broad institutional context (the lack of rule of law) as well as the creation of quasi-public companies as a result of the first wave of mass privatisation (1996–97). Since 2002, information disclosure and protection of shareholder rights have improved significantly. The article examines the proposition that this is partly due to the prospect of EU accession, which has certainly influenced the attitudes and expectations of domestic actors. Based on company surveys and in-depth interviews, the paper analyses how the securities regulator and company owners/managers have been adapting to the imported formal rules.

The 1945 Ethridge Mission to Bulgaria and Romania and the Origins of the Cold War in the Balkans

In autumn 1945, US Secretary of State James Byrnes deadlocked with Soviet Foreign Minister Viacheslav Molotov over the governments of Bulgaria and Romania. To escape, Byrnes dispatched Mark Ethridge, a liberal newspaperman, on a fact-finding mission. Contrary to Byrnes’ hopes, Ethridge found conditions as bad as reported, and went to Moscow to convince the Soviet government to moderate Communist behavior. Ethridge’s damning report on political repression had little effect on Byrnes, who grabbed a face-saving Soviet offer. President Harry Truman, though, read Ethridge’s report and became convinced of the failure of Byrnes’ soft-line and the need to stand up to the Soviet Union.

Europeanization, Party Government or Legacies? Explaining Executive Governance in Bulgaria, the Czech Republic and Hungary

The article discusses whether and how the impact of the European Union, the polarity of party politics or the cultural legacies of communist political rule explain patterns of governance in Bulgarian, Czech and Hungarian executives. Focusing on the formal-legal institutionalization of decision making, the relationship of administrative and political coordination and the centralization of power within executives, it is argued that the varying patterns of centralization and coordination can best be explained by the polarity of party competition. Polarized political competition in Hungary has generated prime ministerial government backed by elaborate devices of administrative coordination. A multipolar constellation of parties in the Czech Republic is associated with the prevalence of political coordination and collegiality at the cabinet level. Bulgaria constitutes an intermediate case with respect to the polarity of its party politics, the weights of political vs administrative coordination and the centralization of governance. The EU has provided incentives for the codification of decision-making practices and for horizontal co-ordination, but the observable patterns of executive governance show a considerable and persisting diversity. This diversity reflects the underlying, distinctive configurations of government, state administration and society in Central and East European countries.

Towards Modernization of the Corporate Governance in Bulgaria

The paper aims at outlining the existing gaps in Bulgarian corporate governance compared to the standards and the state of corporate governance in developed market economies. The current state of corporate governance, the degree of ownership concentration as well as the strengths and weaknesses of corporate governance are examined for the fulfillment of this goal. On the other hand the current trends in development of corporate governance model in leading market economies are discussed. A conceptual model for modernization of corporate governance in Bulgaria is created.

Models of restructuring banking systems in economies in transition

In view of the still underdeveloped capital market in Central and Eastern Europe, modernizing enterprises particularly depends on a functioning banking sector. Due to the interdependence enterprises and banks the insolvency of individual enterprises set off chain reactions which resulted in the collapse of banks and shook the banking systems in some countries. Commercial banks were particularly susceptible to these developments since the ratio between their own fluids and enough experience in reorganizing enterprises nor business perspectives for the enterprises depending on them. In the past years the individual states have made different degrees of progress in reorganizing their commercial banks. Two policy patterns become manifest: Estonia very consistently closed insolvent banks and opened markets for foreign banks and newly developing private banks. Thus the Estonia state considerably reduced its own share in the banks. Latvia also tried to increase its banks orientation towards profitability by opening the market and reducing state shares. The other countries, by contrast, primarily improved capital endowment of the existing banks. Between 1992 and 1995 Polish, Hungarian and Slovene governments realized extensive recapitalisation. While Poland increased the registered capital of important commercial banks, the Slovene and the Hungarian governments also bought nonperforming loans from the banks for state bonds. Hungary then increased the registered capital of the big state-owned banks. In 1994. and 1995. respectively partial recapitalisation took place in Bulgaria and the Czech Republic. Neither Latvia nor Bulgaria nor Lithuania have until now succeeded in stabilizing their banking systems. In the Czech Republic which similar to Estonia opened the market, leading to the emergence of about 60 banks, the central bank has hitherto intervened in 12 banks facing liquidity problems or insolvency. In the Slovak Republic a far-reaching consolidation of banks is also still due. The governments in Bulgaria and Lithuania presently intend to increase the banks capital by state bonds, while the Latvian central bank refrained from direct intervention after the collapse of Banks Baltija and only intensified control of the banks activities.

Les partis politiques et la forme parlementaire de gouvernement en Bulgarie, 1879–1912

SUMMARY In this article, Maria Manolova discussed the evolution of parliamentary government in Bulgaria from the establishment of autonomy to the eve of the Balkan wars. It illustrates how, in a society with no previous tradition of constitutional government, the evolution of a mature and stable system of parliamentary politics, sustained by responsible, competing political parties, proved to be a slow and difficult process. The instability of the parties which did develop, and their excessive number, hindered the evolution of a functioning parliamentary system.

The International Resource Cities Program: Building Capacity in Bulgarian Local Governments

Since 1989, the transformation of municipal governments in Bulgaria to democratic, participatory practices has been a difficult one alter 45 years of Communism. Leaders and bureaucrats accustomed to the highly centralized administration of government have found it challenging to deal with concepts such as citizen participation and public accountability. The Communist system stripped local officials of initiative and authority to attempt innovative solutions to their problems. As a result, the municipalities of Bulgaria are suffering from antiquated infrastructure and lack of citizen participation, caused largely by a central government that is still hesitant to grant resources and control over most government functions to local officials. In an effort to empower local governments in Bulgaria, the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) contracted with the International City-County Management Association (ICMA) in May 1997 to fund ICMA's International Resource Cities Program (IRC). The IRC was designed to expose municipal leaders in developing and transitional countries to the best practices of American city managers through staff exchanges. The IRC program began with six partnerships in Asia, Africa, and Latin America and expanded to 31 partnerships by gate 1998. ICMA and USAID had identified four program goals: 1. To provide technical expertise to enable cities in developing and transitional countries to address pressing urban management issues. 2. To establish substantive professional relationships between U.S. municipal governments and their counterparts in developing and transitional countries. 3. To establish new professional development opportunities for urban managers in the United States and overseas. 4. To facilitate greater understanding of the mutual benefits that can be derived when community leaders in the United States and their overseas partners achieve sustainable solutions that enhance the capacities of democratic local government. USAID identified 12 Bulgarian mayors elected in 1995 who were committed to democratic and free-market reform. USAID invited these mayors to participate in the Local Government Initiative technical assistance program. An outgrowth of USAID's work with the reformist mayors was the formation of the nonprofit Foundation for Local Government Reform (FLGR). The FLGR has two important roles: 1) it disseminates to its municipal members literature on the best practices in public administration, with emphasis on information from Western countries, notably the United States and the United Kingdom; and 2) it links Bulgarian cities with one another and with other national and international organizations devoted to municipal issues. The ICMA invited the FLGR to partner with it to establish a pilot technical program between three pairs of Bulgarian and American cities. Based on the successes of the initial pairings, USAID expanded the twinning program by four cities in 1998. The program has both long-range and short-range goals. In the short term, the American partner assists its Bulgarian counterpart with specific management problems, with emphasis on economic development, community participation, and public-private relationships. In the long term, Bulgarian cities build capacity to address problems with innovative solutions based on citizen input and professional management. Auburn, Alabama and Blagoevgrad, Bulgaria Auburn, Alabama, applied to participate in the IRC program in June 1998 and was paired with Blagoevgrad, Bulgaria. Home to Auburn University, the city of 42,000 is located in east central Alabama. Its population is diverse, with residents representing all states and more than 55 foreign countries. Auburn utilizes council-manager government with nine elected council members, including the mayor. The city government is known nationally for its innovative programs and management practices, evidenced by awards from the ICMA, the American Society for Public Administration, the United States Conference of Mayors, and the Government Finance Officers Association. …

Innovations in public management: perspectives from East and West Europe

Part 1 Introduction and framework for analysis: Aims, structure and methodology of the study, Tony Verheijen The place of public management in the modern European state, David Coombes Theories of public management reform and their practical implications, Philippe Keraudren, Hans van Mierlo. Part 2 Public management in central and eastern Europe - the main problem: The framework for public management in Bulgaria - a view from inside, Krassimira Nikolova Reform of central and local government in Bulgaria - a new start? Tony Verheijen, Philippe keraudren The framework for public management in Hungary, Andras Baka Reform of public management in Hungary - main directions, Hans van Mierlo, Philippe Keraudren The framework for public management in Slovakia, Peter Kuklis, Peter Bercik Public management in Slovakia - a new adminstration for a new state, Hans van Mierlo, Tony Verheijen Public management in central and eastern Europe - the nature of the problem, Tony Verheijen. Part 3 Public management reforms in OECD countries and their relevance for central and eastern Europe: New management reform in the United Kingdom, Philippe Keraudren The United Kingdom - the effect of NPM reforms, Philippe Keraudren, Krassimira Nikolova Public management reform in New Zealand and Australia, Tony Verheijen Public management reform in Ireland, Michelle Millar, Onikarapchian, Tony Verheijen Ireland at the cross-roads, Onik Karapchian, Tony Verheijen Public management in the Netherlands, Hans van Mierlo The Netherlands - the middle way? Peter Kuklis, Hans van Mierlo France - a different approach to reform, Philippe Keraudren, Andras Baka France - maintaining the classical model, Andras Baka, Philippe keraudren Lessons from the experience of OECD countries, Hans van Mierlo. Part 4 Conclusions: NPM reforms and other western strategies - the wrong medicine for central and eastern Europe? Tony Verheijenl alternative paths for the states of central eastern Europe, David Coombes.

Le pouvoir représentatif local en Bulgarie, 1878–1944

SUMMARY In this article Maria Manolova has studied the changes in the structure of representative local government in Bulgaria between 1878 and 1944, in its juridical and historical aspects. The article analyses the structure and competence of the elected local authorities, built around the commune as the basic unit of government, and the attempts by the central government to exercise control over them. The resulting legislation on local government reflects the tensions between the two opposed principles of centralization and decentralization of government. The article reviews the principle legislative Act over the period and how their content was shaped by these competing principles and by the pragmatic needs of the political parties in their competion for power. But despite the fluctuations in the legislation, culminating in the strongly centralist decree-law of 1934, the concept of the commune as the basic institution of popular local self-government in Bulgaria has survived.