Sofia University St. Kliment Ohridski Department of Political Science OSI HESP Academic Fellowship P

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Sofia University St. Kliment OhridskiDepartment
of Political ScienceOSI - HESPAcademic
Fellowship Program

• Bulgarian Nationalism A Survival Guide
• Political Risk Analysis on the Challenges of
  Nationalism in Bulgaria
• Research-in-progress presentation by
• Denitza Hinkova /AFP Fellow/

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Research Background

• The research has been conducted within the
  framework of the the national collective
  project Face to Face with the Challenges of
  Nationalism, in cooperation with the Southeast
  European Academic League /SEAL/ and Department of
  Sociology at the Sofia University /Jan. 2008-July
  2008/.
• Based on the research results and conclusions of
  23 individual case studies on the hybrid forms of
  contemporary nationalism in Bulgaria in the
  period /2007-2008/.
• Social actors official state institutions (5)
  political parties, minority movements and
  patriotic organizations (10) media agents and
  public figures (8) intellectuals /anonymous
  agents/ (8) sub-cultures, internet discussion
  forums and youth groups (10).

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Research overview
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Research topic

• The idea to entitle the text a survival guide
  originated from the subjective vision of the
  researched field of Bulgarian nationalism as a
  jungle of numerous types of representations
  (some are friendly, other quite negative,
  aggressive and hostile, some are even comic. The
  hidden risks of that dynamic political
  environment showed me the path in the search of
  readable markers for orientation.

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Key Terms

• Risk
• Political risk
• Risk assessment the process of enumerating
• risks, determining their classifications,
  assigning
• probability and impact scores, and associating
• controls with each risk.
• Risk Management

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Research Focus and Aims

• The objective reflection of the map of the
  various representations of nationalism in
  Bulgaria reveals potential tensions and risks for
  ethnic confrontations.
• Main question What is the negative impact on
  society from the misuses and self-privatizations
  of the national symbolic resources?
• What could be the risks and negative results of
  the dynamic changes /shifts/ on the field of
  nationalism?

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Methodology

• Qualitative and quantitative methods for risk
  assessment
• Empirical analysis based on the 23 individual
  projects
• Formula for risk evaluation
• R P ? C where R risk P probability
  of occurrence E exposure to risk C -
  consequences

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Main Hypothesis / Presumptions

• Contemporary forms of nationalism in Bulgaria
  symptomise the erosion of national identity and
  vulnerability of national security to direct
  risks and threats mainly because they challenge
  the national identity.
• The main actors, institutions and parties on the
  map of Bulgarian Nationalism , that use or misuse
  nationalist and populist rhetoric, have a
  considerable risk potential and their
  transformation might generate threats such as
  foreign influence of radical political and
  religious organizations Islamic radicalism and
  terrorism ethnic tensions and confrontation
  aggression and intolerance towards minorities
  racism, xenophobia, anti-semitism deepening of
  the socio-economic disparities and cleavages
  unequal access to social mobility and safety
  networks low level of social integrity, increase
  of the mistrust in political parties and
  governmental institutions, deepening of the
  division between nation and state.
• The most important challenge to national security
  is the lack of tolerant, positive nationalism or
  patriotism to defend the national interests and
  the national cause.

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Project results/ Findings

• Typology of Bulgarian nationalism
• 1. Negative, re-active widespread (mass)
  nationalism (aggressive, lack of tolerance and
  xenophobia , self-victimizing, other the
  enemy . This type of nationalism is usually
  expressed (preached) by the nationalist and
  national-populist parties in Bulgaria (BNU,
  ATAKA). It has a highly negative potential to
  trigger national feelings under a threat for the
  homeland and nation.
• 2. Moderate non-reactive, passive nationalism
  tolerant, liberal, multicultural, pro-European,
  integrative. This type is mainly supported by the
  Bulgarian elites, intellectuals and media agents.
  (state institutions, political parties,
  educational textbooks, media)
• 3. Pseudo-patriotic and patriotic (the President,
  Bozhidar Dimitrov, media agents, Tangra TanNakra,
  Bagatur and etc.)

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