Thirty-two years after the fall of the Berlin wall Bulgaria is still struggling with the full application of the rule of law. It is the most corrupt country in the EU, ranked at the 112th place in the world for journalists’ freedom. After a decade of stealing EU funds through corruption schemes, blackmailing businesses and no prosecution of those involved, last year citizens protested for more than a hundred days. They demanded the resignation of Prime Minister Boyko Borisov’s government and the Chief Prosecutor Ivan Geshev. These protests were associated with a disillusion with the political system and the inability of the EU to apply pressure for internal reforms. The latter has resulted in social divisions over the value of EU membership. This democratic system’s crisis cannot be resolved without having a more comprehensive understanding of the processes of democratisation and the development of civil society after the end of socialism. As dissidence in Bulgaria was the basis for the promotion of civil society, it is important to explore its role during the transition to democracy. The present paper is based on the first stage of a post-doctoral research project, studying the fate of ‘dissident’ males and females and their ideas between November 1989 and the end of 1992. It will analyse the clash between the Washington Consensus’ version of democracy and the left ideas for change between 1989-1992 and its impact on the democratic transition in Bulgaria.
