{"id":5532,"date":"2020-07-27T20:53:53","date_gmt":"2020-07-27T17:53:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/boldbg.net\/2020\/07\/27\/%d0%bf%d1%80%d0%be%d1%82%d0%b5%d1%81%d1%82%d0%b8%d1%82%d0%b5-%d0%bf%d1%80%d0%b5%d0%b7-%d0%bb%d1%8f%d1%82%d0%be%d1%82%d0%be-%d0%bd%d0%b0-2020-%d0%b3%d0%be%d0%b4%d0%b8%d0%bd%d0%b0-%d0%b8-%d0%b1%d1%8a\/"},"modified":"2020-10-07T12:31:51","modified_gmt":"2020-10-07T09:31:51","slug":"the-protests-in-the-summer-of-2020-and-what-comes-afterwards","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/boldbg.net\/en\/2020\/07\/27\/the-protests-in-the-summer-of-2020-and-what-comes-afterwards\/","title":{"rendered":"The Protests of Summer 2020 and What Comes Afterwards"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

July 27th 2020<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The protests<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

The Bulgarian Community for Liberal\nDemocracy (BOLD) is guided by the shared vision of its members for a society\nwith democratic governance and a pluralistic political system in which\nfundamental human rights and freedoms are protected and laws, policies and\npractices are aimed at environmental and socio-economic justice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

BOLD welcomes and supports the right of\ncitizens to peaceful protests that are among the basic forms of civic\nparticipation in a democratic society. Through the protests that began on July\n9, 2020, demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Borisov and Chief\nProsecutor Geshev, tens of thousands of our fellow citizens have shown\npolitical maturity and civic solidarity by spending time and energy for realising\ntheir rights of expression, peaceful assembly and participation in public life.\nFor BOLD, the ongoing mass peaceful protests are a source of hope that Bulgaria\nhas a future as a European democracy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

BOLD understands and respects the call\nof many of the protesters, supported by a number of commentators, to refrain\nfrom putting on the agenda any issues related to future social change before\nthe main goal of the protests is achieved \u2013 the resignations of Borisov and\nGeshev. At the same time, while protesters withhold any demands beyond these resignations,\ncertain other political actors guided by their own views and programmes have\ntaken to shaping up the discourse about the future. One can hear on the media radical\nanti-systemic slogans, such as for a complete \u201cdismantling\u201d of the \u201csystem\u201d, an\nimmediate and total \u201creplacement of the system\u201d, a Grand National Assembly for\nan entirely new constitution, or a thorough restart of all social relations.\nThere are also suggestions that the whole transition from communism to\ndemocracy since 1989 has been a mistake that should be corrected. These\nsentiments fail to acknowledge that notwithstanding the serious problems in the\nfunctioning of Bulgarian democracy, it is in the period following 1989 that we\nbuilt the foundations of a liberal-democratic order. BOLD believes that what\nneeds to be dismantled comprehensively and completely is not the \u201csystem\u201d as\nsuch, i.e. not the institutions of liberal democracy, but the oligarchic, mafialike\ncapture of the state and its institutions<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What Comes Afterwards<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

As a community that upholds the values\n\u200b\u200bof liberal democracy, BOLD has a vision and a number of demands which, while\nspecific in content, are overarchingly democratic and therefore irrespective of\nwho will govern Bulgaria in the coming years, as long as they play by the rules\nof democratic competition. Whatever happens after the Borisov 3 cabinet, we\nwant the following:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

1. Firmly and consistently uphold\ndemocracy, human rights and the rule of law, and preserve Bulgaria\u2019s European\norientation<\/strong>. Let us not allow our still unconsolidated Bulgarian democracy\nto be degraded and pushed down a path of authoritarian anti-democratic rule! We\nwant, through targeted policies, to eliminate the conditions feeding the oligarchization\nof political and economic life from circles of permanent players (political\nparties, individual party functionaries, official and shadow business people,\netc.). In an environment of defective market mechanisms and unchallenged corruption\nin central and local government, such players successfully accumulate power,\nwealth, privileges and influence inaccessible to citizens and at their expense.\nLet\u2019s dismantle the oligarchic mafialike model before it has destroyed\ndemocracy in Bulgaria!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

2. Amendment to Chapter 6 of the\nConstitution adopted by an ordinary National Assembly, to solve the problem of\nthe lack of accountability and the impunity of the prosecution and especially\nof the Chief Prosecutor<\/strong>. Unfortunately, the current legal framework makes\nit possible for the Chief Prosecutor General to usurp key functions of justice,\nto initiate arbitrary prosecutions and to violate the right to a fair trial,\nall to the benefit of oligarchic ruling circles. Amending the constitutional\nnorms in respect to the prosecution is a prerequisite for fighting corruption.\nThere are several legal options for achieving such a change, but the criteria\nfor its success include removing the dependence of Supreme Judicial Council members\non the Chief Prosecutor, reducing significantly the term of service of the Chief\nProsecutor, and introducing an effective mechanism for ensuring the liability\nand for removing the Chief Prosecutor. The reform may include the establishment\nof a special procedure and a special institution, not subordinate to the Chief Prosecutor,\nempowered to prosecute senior magistrates.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

3. A civic assembly against\ncorruption<\/strong> that would apply tools (including digital) to enable modern\nforms of democratic citizens\u2019 participation in the spirit of deliberative\ndemocracy bridging direct and representative democracy. The assembly should be\nempowered to: a) carry out an independent study of corrupt practices in recent\ndecades, identifying all laws and regulations that make them possible; b)\ndevelop a binding concept for a set of anti-corruption legislative measures.\nThis demand is based on our fear that, regardless of their composition, the\nfuture parliament and government will not be completely independent of the\nresults of anti-corruption reform, and that only citizens\u2019 control can limit\nthis risk. Corruption is too important an issue to be left in the hands of\ninstitutions alone! Corruption is practiced primarily by public authorities and\ninstitutions and therefore citizens\u2019 participation is required to hold it in check.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

4. Urgent measures to ensure remote\nvoting<\/strong> as a means against electoral manipulation. We insist on legislative changes\naimed at introducing online voting and guaranteeing the right to vote in\nparliamentary and presidential elections to all adult Bulgarian citizens\nregardless of their social or legal status or their permanent or temporary\nresidence or location, as well as the right to vote in local elections to all\npermanent residents on the territory of Bulgaria, including those who are not\nBulgarian citizens.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

5. Better guarantees of media\nindependence<\/strong>. Bulgaria is among the worst performing countries in the world\nin terms of media freedom. A reform is required of the way in which the national\nradio and television are governed and measures must be taken to limit the\ninvolvement of key media outlets with those in power. Public media governing\nbodies should be formed on a pluralistic basis with enhanced civic\nparticipation, to ensure that their decisions do not favour any political actor.\nThere must be legal guarantees for the transparency of media ownership and the\norigin of owners\u2019 funds, as well as a mechanism to prevent the concentration of\nthe media market. There must be support for the self-regulation of the media\nand measures to prevent a monopoly in the distribution of print media.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

6. Policies to counter national\npopulism<\/strong> at all institutional levels. We must not allow our civic\npatriotism to degenerate into intolerance of difference and to manifest itself as\nrights abuse of people from ethnic and religious minorities, refugees and\nforeigners. Regrettably, Bulgaria is still one of the most intolerant countries\nin the European Union. We owe to ourselves and to our children a more decisive\nmovement towards a society free from ethno-national prejudice. For a democracy\nwithout racism and discrimination!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

7. The government must comply with\nour commitments related to the environment and pursue socio-economic justice<\/strong>,\nincluding through concrete plans to achieve the UN Sustainable Development\nGoals by 2030, the European Pillar of Social Rights and the European Green Deal.\nThis is particularly important for overcoming the effects of the Kovid-19\npandemic and the socio-economic crisis it has triggered. Let us not allow the government\nto use the pandemic as a pretext for inaction, or as an excuse for actions that\nwould deteriorate the environment or aggravate socio-economic injustice!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The Bulgarian Community for Liberal Democracy (BOLD) is guided by the shared vision of its members for a society with democratic governance and a pluralistic political system in which<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":5405,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[101],"tags":[134],"yoast_head":"\nThe Protests of Summer 2020 and What Comes Afterwards - \u0411\u041e\u041b\u0414<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/boldbg.net\/en\/2020\/07\/27\/the-protests-in-the-summer-of-2020-and-what-comes-afterwards\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"The Protests of Summer 2020 and What Comes Afterwards - \u0411\u041e\u041b\u0414\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"The Bulgarian Community for Liberal Democracy (BOLD) is guided by the shared vision of its members for a society with democratic governance and a pluralistic political system in which\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/boldbg.net\/en\/2020\/07\/27\/the-protests-in-the-summer-of-2020-and-what-comes-afterwards\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"\u0411\u041e\u041b\u0414\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2020-07-27T17:53:53+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2020-10-07T09:31:51+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/boldbg.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/\u043f\u0440\u043e\u0442\u0435\u0441\u0442\u0438-\u043f\u043e\u0437\u0438\u0446\u0438\u044f-\u0441\u0430\u0439\u0442.png\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"800\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"450\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/png\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"admin\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"admin\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"6 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/boldbg.net\/en\/2020\/07\/27\/the-protests-in-the-summer-of-2020-and-what-comes-afterwards\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/boldbg.net\/en\/2020\/07\/27\/the-protests-in-the-summer-of-2020-and-what-comes-afterwards\/\",\"name\":\"The Protests of Summer 2020 and What Comes Afterwards - 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