The recent conference on the impact of the entry to EU on bulgarian society showed that the integration process demands "fundamental change in work ethics".

“Friedrich Ebert” Foundation and the Institute for Political and Law studies brought political scientists and sociologists together to discuss the impact of Bulgaria’s entry to EU to ongoing processes in the country.
As of 1 January 2007, any single act or position coming from Bulgaria is regarded as a EU position.

“The rest of EU states are most watchful where we’re concerned, I mean what Bulgaria is doing presently. No doubt they’re most sensitive to anything that could eventually abuse EU’s reputation and complicate relationships within the Union and stand in the way of the new image the Union is seeking to project in a rather complex, global competition environment”, said professor Georgi Karasimeonov, Director of the Institute for Political and Law studies.
According to him three social stratums in Bulgaria have been experiencing a genuine shock as a result of Bulgaria’s EU accession. To begin with, public administration bodies at all levels. Secondly, economic subjects, operating in the twilight sector.
“These are subjects operating in the economic system, who must have at one time thought that they would continue to do their grey-zone business undisturbed and would even be able to snatch the lion’s share of EU funds for Bulgaria. And coming third in terms of experiencing a shock as a result of national EU accession are the regular Bulgarians. They are beginning to come to terms with the fact that EU integration calls for transformation of mentality, work habits, work ethics and labour productivity.
According to Professor Petar-Emil Mitev from the Institute for Social Values and Structures, the first thing that Bulgaria benefits from joining EU is:
“Respect to rules, introduction and observation of rules, this is the first and possibly the most important asset we gain from EU membership. From this point of view even the suspension of EU funding for Bulgaria has its positive assets, in terms of teaching the national frame of mind some discipline and order”.
According to Ognyan Minchev, Director of the Institute for International and Regional Studies, the essential problem of countries such as Bulgaria and Romania is the modernization of the political elite and the public because:
“In Bulgaria, apart from the problems of the political elite, there are the troubles generated by an autonomous, organized crime, thriving on the basis of certain marginal stratums, which came on top with no inconsiderable assistance from the Communist nomenclature in the upheaval in the early 1990’s. They took hold of key positions and evolved into an oligarchy, which has increasingly been controlling the institutions, political decisions and has been devouring the opportunities of the political class to evolve”, said in conclusion Ognyan Minchev.

Written by Milka Dimitrova
Translated by Margarita Dikanarova

Bulgaria in EU, the accession shock, Radio Bulgaria, 26.6.2008.