In a previous post, we showed some of the reasons why the political system cannot be relied on to successfully solve socio-economic problems (see here). The theory of regulatory captivity and Bulgarian economic history revealed how the interaction between management structures and interest groups ends in a conspiracy against society and the plunder of resources. …
More »2021.07
Waiting for Godot
"Waiting for Godot" is a popular play by Samuel Beckett in which nothing happens. Two tramps wait for a certain Godot who never comes. Waiting for someone and/or something that never comes is an apt metaphor for the relationship between rulers and society. Politicians and bureaucrats are …
More »The issue of the national currency cannot be resolved behind closed doors
Stoyan Panchev's interview with Trud newspaper: The early parliamentary elections were marked by low interest and minimal surprises in the results. No party won outright. No potential coalition was given enough room for action. Slavi Trifonov's party presented a draft cabinet, thus leaving potential partners …
More »Left right
Different views on the (re)organization of society are promoted with different labels. Probably the most widely used are left and right. They should briefly explain the essence of proposed reforms and policies, and help identify the political opponent. In this text we will read the views of a Bulgarian “right” from the 1930s and early …
More »Why the eurozone isn't working
Amidst the enthusiasm for the investigation into the irregularities of the previous administration, the caretaker government of Stefan Yanev has approved a plan for Bulgaria to join the eurozone. This is a puzzling move, because this plan is largely inherited from the previous government, whose abuses in other areas the current caretaker cabinet appointed by …
More »The march towards the eurozone and the price we will pay
Author: Stefan Antonov On July 10 (the day before the elections) it will be one year since Bulgaria and Croatia were admitted to the waiting room of the eurozone and the banking union. GERB's decision to push in this direction became a fact despite legitimate and well-founded concerns that the state was taking unacceptable risks. The period since its …
More »Why is the ECB silent about the BDB?
The ECB is silent about the BDB. We have sent a request for all documents on the case. As we have already written, Bulgaria has been a member of the Banking Union for 9 months now. A key element of the BS is the so-called Single Supervisory Mechanism. Supporters of the eurozone promised that banking supervision in the hands of the ECB would correct the problems in …
More »If Boyko Borisov is not a communist, then no one is
"I was a young lieutenant in the fire department back then. They mobilized us and sent us to Dulovo. Hundreds of thousands of Bulgarian citizens and Bulgarian Muslims were expelled by this same communist party, now called socialist. And I don't know how our opponents from the MRF accept to form a coalition with the former communists, who are not ...
More »
EKIP– Expert Club for Economics and Politics A Different Opinion