Понятието „европеец” сред българското общество в процеса на българската евроинтеграция
“European” as a Notion in Bulgarian Society during the Bulgarian Euro-Integration

Summary/Abstract: In the presented paper the traditional notions of the Bulgarian people about “Europe” and “European” are discussed as they took shape in the Renaissance and their use in the 20th century as well. And it is claimed that in these notions “the European” was always a model of imitation, an idealized image of civilized and human perfection. In other words – the question is about a mythological perception of “Europe” and “European”, which here is discussed as a guiding idea in the development of Bulgarian society. The emphasis of the paper is about some of the basic reasons for the development of this mythical image among Bulgarians. Revealed as such are the hygiene of the West- and Central European societies, the quality and the attractive appearance of their products, the shining window-display of their shops and other similar aspects. But the main reason was the “unknown” Western world and its taboo during the time of Totalitarian Socialism which surely intensified the mythmaking of “Europe”. It is affirmed at the end of the paper that with the progress of Bulgarian Euro-integration this myth has begun to fade away and the reason is that many and mainly young people become acquainted with the real image of Europe from within and thus with the sources of mythmaking. There is a hope that with the process of our Euro-integration the myth about “Europe” and the “European” will become only a problem of history.

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