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The paper discusses opportunities for expanding citizen participation in the design and implementation of a green transition. Participatory mechanisms and notions of fairness are crucial for improving the rules for formulating and implementing various public policies and providing support for adequate social changes. More clearly or more muted, directly or indirectly, they could stimulate or paralyze these changes.
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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.
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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.
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This report provides an overview of the European Public Prosecutor‘s Office (EPPO) in its role as an independent law enforcement body and as an element of the institutional approach to protecting the Financial interests of the EU. It analyzes key changes in the reporting and investigation of such crimes within the national judicial system following the country‘s accession as a member of the EPPO. It also outlines the specificities of the chosen approach, examining its impact on the protection of the Union‘s financial interests.
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This article is dedicated to the ideas for the development of territorial and administrative organization of the Bulgarian state. The introductory part examines the problems of settlement development, the model of environmental functioning, and territorial management. The first part reviews the development of administrative and territorial organization based on its chronology from the Unification to the present day. The relevant methodological conclusions and recommendations are made. The philosophy of the administrative-territorial units in the country is also examined, as well as conclusions and recommendations are made about their importance for the implementation of regional development policies in the country. It is important to share that territorial problems are an expression of socio-economic development and the need for a change in the philosophy of state governance in the different periods of assessment and analysis in this presentation.
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In today‘s dynamic and digitalized world, fostering critical thinking in young people is one of the most essential tasks of the educational system. It is no longer enough for children to memorize facts – they need to understand, reason, and learn to evaluate the information they encounter. The educational environment, functioning as a microcosm of society, shapes not only knowledge but also attitudes, behaviors, and skills for dealing with real-life situations. It should become a space where students not only acquire knowledge but also learn to ask questions, search for meaning, and defend their positions. However, this requires a different approach, more flexible methods, and a clear vision for developing thinking individuals. Education, in this sense, is not only a tool for knowledge but also a resource for shaping independent people who can navigate the complexity of the modern world and take responsibility for their own choices.
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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.
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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?
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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.
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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.
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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.
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This report aims to analyse the role of intrapreneurial skills for the successful integration of young people into the labour market in Bulgaria. A brief overview of the situation and dynamics of the youth economic activity, employment and unemployment in the country in recent years has been made and the main areas of vulnerability of young people in the labour market in our country have been identified. The prospects for the development of intrapreneurial skills among young people are placed in the context of entrepreneurship education and training and the challenges related to motivation and organisational environment.
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This report presents a literary study of the safety of children in the perspective of time from the first to the third wave of social development in the Alvin Tofler. Nowadays, it is the safety of children that is one of the most frequent discussion topics, which brings together conscious scientific, political, civic, parental thoughts and actions. The main research question is: whether and in what direction the need for safety of children is changing in historically different societies? To achieve this goal, the conceptual framework of the research is introduced – child, childhood, security, digital inequality. Then a summary historical projection of the development of children‘s security in different societies is presented to reach the third part, whose emphasis is on aspects of children‘s safety today, in the information, networked, digitally layered society of the Fourth Industrial Revolution.
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The study aims to outline the status, development trends and socio-economic importance of the Bulgarian mining industry for the national economy and society, based on an analysis of available industry and statistical information. An analysis of the economic results achieved by the „Mining and Quarrying Industry“ sub-sector for the period from 2018 to 2023 is made. The results of the study highlight the importance of the Bulgarian mining industry for the Bulgarian economy and society.
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Measurement tools are often used to evaluate social aspects connected to society. Such tools are used to create and implement different development policies. The measurement tools are used to estimate social indicators, such as the standard of living. However, it is also important to consider to what extent these tools can create an illusion of progress and stability. The different approaches and theories show that the social reality is multilayered and requires a deeper understanding to accurately reflect the social processes and social relations. The paper analyses a study related to the regional priorities of the districts in Bulgaria conducted by the Institute for Market Economics (IME) to check whether there is an inconsistency between the general and detailed results and the methodology used to analyse the data.
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This article examines the relationship between life satisfaction and quality of life among Bulgarians aged 50 and older, as well as the influence of selected demographic characteristics, psychological factors, and self-rated health on both dimensions as independent variables. The findings indicate that life satisfaction has a stronger impact on quality of life than the reverse, yet the two remain interconnected. Financial status, education level, and self-rated health have a greater influence on quality of life, whereas psychological factors – such as depression, guilt, and social isolation—play a more significant role in shaping life satisfaction. These distinctions emphasize the need for targeted policy strategies aimed at improving the well-being of the older population
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The study presents a comparative analysis of best practices for the integration of migrant students in Bulgaria, Spain, and Italy. The focus is on language adaptation, social inclusion, and institutional support, examining various practices and educational methods. The research adopts an interdisciplinary approach, combining sociological, pedagogical, and migration analyses to assess the effectiveness and sustainability of integration initiatives. The key findings indicate that successful strategies include mentoring programs, personalized integration plans, and the development of intercultural educational models. Based on the analysis, recommendations are provided for improving Bulgaria‘s policy on the integration of migrant students.
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