Opportunities for Revitalization of Rural Areas in Poland and Bulgaria after the War in Ukraine

Author(s): Daniela Tsvyatkova,Agnieszka Wrzochalska / Language(s): English Publication Year: 0

As a result of the armed conflict in Ukraine, nearly a third of Ukrainians have been forcibly displaced from their homes. This is one of the largest displacement crises in the world and in our time. Bulgaria and Poland were among the first EU countries to welcome the migrant wave in the early hours of the war. The aim of this paper is to identify the current problems and certain socio-economic prospects of Ukrainian migrants in Poland and Bulgaria after the start of the military conflict The article also aims to try to answer the question of whether it is possible to revive rural areas in Poland and Bulgaria, given the potential that incoming foreigners (mostly Ukrainian citizens) represent for our countries. To achieve the set goal, the authors use quantitative and qualitative methods, representative official statistical data from the NSI, migration services, non-governmental organizations, results of primary research, office studies, Internet sources etc. The application of the scientific method, as well as the inductive and deductive methods helps to analyze demographic and socioeconomic processes in their dynamic development and highlight their impact on the socio-economic environment in Bulgaria and Poland. The authors reveal the need to make more effective use of the economic and social potential of migrants and the opportunities for rural revitalization in both host countries. The integration of migrant business into the economic environment of Bulgaria and Poland requires not only training of the migrants themselves, but also of the institutions and society as a whole regarding the benefits of this activity. This is definitely an underestimated area with huge potential that is underutilized for the socio-economic development of rural areas and ensuring a normal and peaceful existence for Ukrainian families in the chosen host country.

Bioeconomy – Present and Future

Author(s): Monika Sabeva,Diana Kopeva / Language(s): English Publication Year: 0

The pressure on ecosystems has intensified as a result of excessive pollution, overexploitation and depletion of natural resources. This imposes the need of a radical change in the existing methods of processing, storage, recycling and disposal of biological resources by establishing sustainable production and consumption models. The need to step up the transition to both clean energy and sustainable, resilient and equitable food systems has never been stronger and clearer. Future implementation of the EU Bioeconomy Action Plan will need to take into account the implications for food and energy prices, as well as the prices of energy-intensive products and global supply chains, and address the resulting additional pressures on natural resources at ecosystem boundaries. Activities in the bioeconomy sectors are especially reliant on healthy ecosystems to ensure a sustained production of biomass, but at the same time activities along the bioeconomy supply chains generate environmental impacts which can damage local and global ecosystems. The bioeconomy is directly related to 11 of all 17 Sustainable Development Goals but though the EU undertakes the steps necessary to achieve sustainability, there is still a wide range of actions to be taken in order to ensure the transition towards bioeconomy and to mitigate and eliminate the negative impacts on the environment. In the study we have focused on three important indicators that give insight about current state and trends in EU and Bulgaria about bioeconomy, respectively employment in the bioeconomy, turnover in bioeconomy, and value added at factor cost in the bioeconomy. The trend in Bulgaria follows that of the EU for those indicators which indicates the continuity of the measures adopted at the EU level and the consistency of the actions at the supranational level. The paper is based on a thorough review of available reports, analysis of official documents as action plans, communications, programs, strategies and data related to bioeconomy at EU level, reviewed in the context of global efforts for achieving sustainability. The main objective of this research is to represent the international efforts aimed at the protection of natural resources and to evaluate the measures taken to stimulate the EU transition towards bioeconomy.

Идеалът от „Начертанието“ пресъздаден в концепцията „Сръбски свят“

Author(s): Mirela Vladimirova-Dimitrova / Language(s): Bulgarian Publication Year: 0

The report examines the two leading nationalist concepts of Serbia based upon a survey exploring the popularity of the ideas of the modern „Serbian World“, its ideological connection with its predecessor „The Načertanije“, as well as the changes in the Serbian national ideal over the years. After 76 processing and analyzing the obtained results the researcher underlines the need of further studies and their dissemination among the Bulgarian society thus to avoid misconceptions and facilitate optimization of the external political efforts of the state.

Дигиталните разкази в предизборните кампании

Author(s): Maryana Mihaylova / Language(s): Bulgarian Publication Year: 0

This report examines the concept of „digital narrative“, with a focus on clarifying the nature and application of digital narrative in election campaigns, with the aim of collecting and systematizing my currently available scientific information in the indicated direction. The concept of 125 „digital narrative“ is central to my dissertation research and the information referenced here will be used in it. In clarifying the essence of the digital narrative, the following methodological framework was used: who is the subject of the digital narrative, i.e. who is the digital storyteller, what is the digital story in terms of classical communication models, what are the possible applications of the digital story. This methodological framework predetermines the structure of the present exposition. The application of digital storytelling in campaign communications is explored in a one-day special.

Процес на вземане на решения в политическите партии в България

Author(s): Mihail Stavrev / Language(s): Bulgarian Publication Year: 0

This article analyzes the decision-making process in the political parties in Bulgaria. The decision-making mechanisms, which are legally enshrined in the statutes of the political parties, are conditionally distinguished from the actual decision-making process, examined through the lens of part of the national representative and national management (operational) bodies of the political parties. Special attention has also been given to the question of internal party democracy as an important factor in the specific decision-making process. In view of the large number of political parties in Bulgaria, the study is limited to an analysis of the decision-making processes in BSP (Bulgarian Socialist Party), DPS (Dvizhenie za prava i svobodi), GERB and PP (Produlzhavame promyanata).

Съществени личностни характеристики за формиране личността на лидера в общинската администрация на територията на Република България

Author(s): Loreta Traykova / Language(s): Bulgarian Publication Year: 0

This article aims at exploring and presenting a set of essential personal characteristics necessary to form the leader in the municipal administration in the Republic of Bulgaria. It uses data from a specially designed online survey among the mayors in the municipalities on the territory of the Republic of Bulgaria, as well as the regional mayors of the cities of Sofia, Plovdiv and Varna. In this article, the focus will be on one of the questionnaires used in the study. It includes questions grouped in five building blocks and aims at revealing different aspects of the person‘s personality who form his/her personal profile. The methods of analysis that are used are descriptive statistics, the calculation of mean values, and the testing of statistical hypotheses. The analysis identifies the essential personality characteristics that are derived on the basis of the completed questionnaires by the mayors. Statistically significant differences in gender are observed mainly in terms of the Emotionality building block.

Specifics of Global and Regional Implementation of Renewable Energy Communities

Author(s): Nikolai Nikolov / Language(s): English Publication Year: 0

This article explores the increasing interest in Renewable Energy Communities (RECs), a subset of Smart Energy Communities (SECs) that emphasize collaborative energy use through decentralized, often renewable, energy systems. These systems enable citizens, businesses, and public entities to share energy resources, focusing on cost savings, sustainability, and safety, and are shaped by European regulations. It addresses a key gap in existing research by presenting a standardized methodology for REC implementation, adaptable to various contexts. It provides novel contributions, including a process for REC development, legal framework comparisons, and funding guidelines for different project types. Additionally, it proposes comprehensive Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) to evaluate energy, environmental, economic, and social impacts. These findings aim to support policymakers and stakeholders in advancing REC initiatives through informed decision-making.

Droga do zrównoważonego rozwoju – wyzwania i perspektywy

Author(s): Magdalena Śliwińska / Language(s): Polish Publication Year: 0

Impact of the Common Agricultural Policy Funds on the Development of the Agricultural Sector, Case Study Romania – Bulgaria

Author(s): Georgiana-Raluca Ladaru,Mariarosaria Lombardi,Ionuţ Laurenţiu Petre / Language(s): English Publication Year: 0

Romania and Bulgaria are the only European Union member countries for which there was only one treaty upon accession. Thus, joining at the same time, we can consider that the starting point was common, since 2007 projects from European structural and investment funds have been attracted and implemented. The present research aims to identify the implications that European funds granted under the Common Agricultural Policy have had on the two agricultural sectors in the Romania- Bulgaria comparative analysis. or this purpose, data from European and international databases on European structural and investment funds attracted will be used, as well as result indicators that will measure the performance and competitiveness of the agricultural sectors.

Population in Rural Areas – Twenty Years of Poland's Membership in the EU

Author(s): Agnieszka Wrzochalska / Language(s): English Publication Year: 0

Since the beginning of the 21st century, a few positive changes have taken place in rural areas in Poland, including those concerning rural society. At the same time, the countryside has begun to become an attractive place to live, especially areas located near cities, well connected to them. The aspirations and needs of the rural population have begun to resemble the needs of city dwellers. The lifestyle of residents in cities and rural areas has begun to become more uniform. A smaller and smaller percentage of the population has begun to work in agriculture. Several non-agricultural jobs have been created in rural areas, and non-agricultural jobs are also available in nearby towns. Therefore, expanding the educational competences or the level of formal education of the rural population to increase its importance on the labor market in the city and in the countryside is very important. At the same time, both the average size of the farm and the scale of neighboring leases have increased (Karwat-Woźniak, 2015; Karwat-Woźniak and Buks, 2022) and, to put it simply, it can be noted that even in one village, only a few professionally trained farmers (Doichinova, Stoyanova, 2020) run a farm. A positive phenomenon is the increase in the life expectancy of Polish residents, but at the same time, the progressive process of population ageing has been noted. During the period of EU membership, the rural population realized its educational aspirations by increasing the level of education and reducing educational differences in relation to the population in cities. Activities to popularize adult education have become important, consisting both in improving accessibility and in raising awareness of the benefits of lifelong learning and acquiring civilizational competences, including improving digital skills. It should be noted that the course of demographic phenomena, starting from 2020, was greatly influenced by the outbreak of the COVID 19 pandemic, which contributed to a higher number of deaths than in previous years and thus deepening the unfavorable trends of population ageing that have appeared in the last dozen or so years in our country and Europe. The article is an attempt to make a social, and primarily demographic, characterization of rural residents in Poland at the threshold of the third decade of the 21st century and the changes that have taken place in this area over the last twenty years.

Transition to a Sustainable Blue Economy – From a Global Framework to a National Context

Author(s): Atanaska Nikolova / Language(s): English Publication Year: 0

The sustainable use of ocean and marine resources for economic growth, improved livelihoods and jobs, and the sustainable health of ocean and marine ecosystems is the leading theme of the decade declared by the United Nations General Assembly as the Decade of Ocean Science (Ocean Decade 2021 – 2030). Global challenges related to climate change, overexploitation of natural resources, environmental pollution, as well as intensive urbanization of coastal areas determine the importance and relevance of the transition to a sustainable blue economy. The topic is particularly relevant for Bulgaria, because the sectors of the blue economy make a significant contribution to the socio-economic development of the country, but due to the vulnerability of the Black Sea ecosystem, the economic potential of the Bulgarian coastal and marine ecosystem is exposed to the risk of anthropogenic and climatic pressure. Despite the challenges, Bulgaria has the potential to transform the Bulgarian Black Sea coast not only into a center of sustainable economic growth, but also into a model for applying the principles of the blue economy. The publication presents the results of a study whose main objective is to analyze the development of policies related to the transition to a sustainable blue economy in an international, European, regional and national context and to provide an analytical basis for the formation of a recommendations for a policy framework for an effective transition to a sustainable blue economy in Bulgaria. The analytical method applied is a critical review of the framework “external” to the country, which to a large extent regulates the process of transformation of the blue economy sectors, and of key national policies leading the process of transition to the blue economy. Conclusions are drawn for the policy development process for a sustainable blue economy, and key catalysts for accelerating the transition to a sustainable blue economy are identified, such as improved governance, monitoring and control; changing production and consumption patterns ensuring a transition to a low-carbon economy and society, zero pollution and a circular economy; focus on technological innovations and science-based ocean solutions; and involving stakeholders in the process. Recommendations are also formulated for making a transition to a sustainable blue economy at the national level, including changing the models of isolated sector management and investment and developing a national policy framework to provide a platform for improved governance and coordination between institutions and stakeholders in blue economy sectors.

Пазарът като "включваща" институция

Author(s): Vyara Stoilova / Language(s): Bulgarian Publication Year: 0

In modern society, the exercise of labor is a central key to inclusion and belonging to society. Through labor, all those goods are produced – goods and services that people cannot obtain in a ready-made form from nature. In this sense, labor is a forced activity for society. The report focuses on the market, as the main institution that organizes forced labor. Special attention is paid to the immigration of market logic into areas and institutions outside the economy of society.

Заети, въпреки това изключени: когато да имаш платена работа не е достатъчно

Author(s): Dragomir Draganov / Language(s): Bulgarian Publication Year: 0

This paper aims to track the prevalence of so-called "exclusionary employment" and to assess the impact of important elements of working conditions and organisation of work on the likelihood of those in paid employment falling into such a condition. Using data from the 10th round of the European Social Survey, the paper presents evidence that nearly 36% of employees are in a state of "exclusionary employment", with the biggest contributor being excessive job demands requiring too much physical, mental and emotional effort. Something like this impedes the possibility of recovering the workforce and achieving a satisfying time outside paid work. One of the reasons for the emergence of such imbalances is the weakened bargaining potential in organisations, which hinders the ability of employees to participate in the decision making process and to have their interests taken into account when adapting working conditions and organisation of work to changing realities

Управление на водния сектор и екологична справедливост: съпротива или оцеляване на кв. "Надежда" в Сливен

Author(s): Rositsa Kratunkovа / Language(s): Bulgarian Publication Year: 0

Since 1989, Bulgaria has been undergoing rapid economic restructuring, affecting urban governance and the equitable distribution of resources. In Sliven, the mass closure of factories and the layoff of Roma workers accelerated the processes of spatial segregation and ghettoization, thus creating racialized poverty. The water sector also suffers from chronic underinvestment, which often leads to water supply interruptions in the city. The Roma from the Nadezhda district are considered guilty of the accumulated economic losses of the Sliven Water and Sewerage Company by the institutions, which become scapegoats for the structural problems. At the same time the interests of the business trump the needs of the population for drinking water. As a result, the water supply in the district is interrupted every night. This situation raises questions about how the marginalized urban population can resist and demand access to basic rights such as the right to water. In addition to the tactics of the locals, the report also draws attention to the other, institutional side – what oppressive practices the authorities use. The theoretical framework of infrapolitics, conceived by James Scott, situates the low-intensity actions and gestures of subordinate groups in the context of collective political action and helps to illustrate how Roma in Nadezhda act politically. This is considered against the backdrop of how water governance reconfigures social relations and governance structures, using the prism of the hydrosocial cycle of water.

Оценката на социалното въздействие и гражданското участие в процеса на разработване и управление на публични политики за индустриално развитие

Author(s): Andrey Lalov / Language(s): Bulgarian Publication Year: 0

The partnership in social impact assessment of industrial policies is a process of consultation with stakeholders interested in a specific policy. Partnership and SIA evolve alongside the evolution of state and follows the increasing role of civil society. Partnership in the process of creation, implementation, and evaluation of development policies is one of the examples of this process. Industrial policies offer a good opportunity for analyzing partnership. The Operational Programme „Innovations and Competitiveness 2014-2020“ (OPIC), which is a systematically developed and financially covered industrial development policy, is the most suitable for this purpose. It is the primary vehicle for Bulgaria’s industrial policy, as it is dominant and, in many sectors, the sole source of funding for industrial development policies. The SIA of policies implemented under OPIC is an opportunity that has not yet been fully utilized, which, to some extent, prevents the full exploitation of the advantages of partnership.

На децата – с обич и омерзение. Корени на обществените резерви срещу политиките за безплатни лекарства за децата в България

Author(s): Venelin L. Stoychev / Language(s): Bulgarian Publication Year: 0

The report presents an analysis of data on child healthcare from the National Institute of Statistics, the National Health Insurance Fund, the National Institute of Health Insurance, Eurostat and an empirical study by the LARGO association, focused on the topic of free medicines for children. The analysis reveals that children are (no longer) a consensus value in Bulgarian society. Last year, the National Health Insurance Fund paid out 16 million leva on the main clinical pathways for children‘s hospitalizations, and parents made private investments of over 1 billion leva for medicines for Bulgaria‘s children. On average, a parent in our country pays 562.32 leva just for medicines per child per year, according to the study data. Every second parent finds it difficult to cover the costs of their child‘s medicines. However, public opinion in our country is strongly divided on the topic of free medicines for children due to the levels of distrust in our society, doubts about corruption and lobbying, anti-vaccination attitudes, and the normalization of public speaking from the standpoint of racism and xenophobia.

Държавна регулация на цените на храните: икономически последици и предизвикателства

Author(s): Madlen Mitkova / Language(s): Bulgarian Publication Year: 0

In recent years, the issue of rising food prices has become one of the most significant socio-economic issues. Global supply chains, inflationary pressures, rising production costs and geopolitical crises contribute to price volatility, posing serious challenges to consumers, businesses and governments. In response to the rising cost of living and societal pressures, many countries, including Bulgaria, have begun to discuss or implement measures to contain prices through government regulation. Although such interventions are often presented as a mechanism to protect households from speculative price gouging and social inequality, economists warn that they can lead to deficits, a decline in investment and distortions in the competitive balance of the market. This article will analyse the main factors leading to food price rises, the role of the state in price regulation and the potential effects of such measures on the economy, consumers and retailers. Is it possible for the state to effectively control prices without negative consequences, or does the free market remain the best mechanism to regulate the value of goods?

Социално-икономически ефекти на общата селскостопанска политика върху земеделските общности в България

Author(s): Nikol Kanchev / Language(s): Bulgarian Publication Year: 0

The Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) of the European Union plays a crucial role in the development of agricultural communities in Bulgaria. This report examines the economic and social effects of the CAP, focusing on farm support, modernization, and sustainable development. At the same time, it addresses challenges related to subsidy distribution, administrative barriers, and social change. Using economic sociology approaches, the study explores structural transformations in rural areas and the role of social capital. The main focus is on farmers‘ adaptation to European policies and the opportunities to optimize their impact. Based on collected data, recommendations are provided for more effective CAP implementation in Bulgaria.

Промяната, която не се е случвала от 100 години – 2

Author(s): Kaloyan Valentinov Haralampiev,Georgi Naidenov / Language(s): Bulgarian Publication Year: 0

The nature of the change „that has not happened for 100 years“ is analyzed. The results of the research of the two authors from 2010 until now are shown – the cycles of evolution of the world market, the westward movement of the center of world trade and the risks of a world nuclear war. The geographical movement of world capital to the west is revealed.

Ноосферата/антропоценът, изкуственият интелект и заплахата за човека и обществото

Author(s): Boris Manov / Language(s): Bulgarian Publication Year: 0

The article raises the question of the „fate“ of man and society in the conditions of the turbulent global transformations of the entire existence of human civilization in the first decades of the XXI century, and in particular – of security and the advance of AI, emphasizing the possible, but already actual, negative consequences/threats of artificial intelligence, in the conditions of which humanity has been living for a long time.