Guest Lecture, May 3

UNFORTUNATELY, DUE TO THE VOLCANO ERUPTION IN ICELAND, WHICH IS CAUSING FLIGHT CANCELLATIONS, THE LECTURE WILL TAKE PLACE 3RD MAY.

Aleksanteri Institute and the Embassy of the Republic of Bulgaria cordially invite you to a lecture on

Post-Transition Bulgaria: A Fluid Polity Struggling with Europeanization

given by Managing Partner of Sophia Analytica Ltd. and Adjunct Professor in European Politics, Mr. Vladimir Shopov

Time: Monday 3rd May, 2010 at 12:15-13:45

Place: Aleksanteri Institute, Meeting Room (Unioninkatu 33, 2nd floor).

In case you wish to participate please contact Ms. Marjo Kauppinen (see contact information below) by Wednesday 28th April, 2010.

Lecture outline

The lecture will be divided in three sections. The first will deal with the key features and peculiarities of Bulgarian politics and policy-making addressing issues of democratic system-building, party system, policy coherence, electoral volatility. Some comments on the transition approach to post-communist politics will also be offered.

Secondly, a short account of Bulgarian civil society, its nature, dynamics and attitudes will be offered. Current features of civic interaction and models of civic organization will be presented as well.

Finally, the lecture will present some thoughts on the first years of Bulgaria's membership in the EU. Areas of policy activity, public opinion attitudes and the management of EU membership will be among the topics covered in this last part of the lecture.

Biographical note

Vladimir Shopov is founder of Sophia Analytica Ltd., a research and consultancy company, adjunct professor in European Politics at Sofia University “St. Kliment of Ohrid” and lecturer at the Diplomatic Institute of the Bulgarian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. He is presently writing his doctoral thesis on the role of ideas in international relations. Sophia Analytica Ltd. works in the fields of political and electoral consultancy, non-governmental organization development, international projects in the areas of migration and development as well as governance training. Mr. Shopov is also occasional lecturer at various European universities.

Welcome!

Contact person
Marjo Kauppinen
East Central European, Balkan and Baltic Studies (ECEBB)
email: marjo.a.kauppinen at helsinki.fi
tel. + 358 9 191 23657