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‘Bulgaria and Europe: Shifting Identities’ offers a unique analysis of Bulgaria’s relationship with the European continent. Katsikas examines how Bulgarian historiography and literature over the centuries have created differing conceptions of Europe and, in the process, shaped the country’s own shifting identity. Through his analysis, he provides the broader cultural context and historical perspective required in order to understand the country’s EU accession process as well as its aftermath. This work ultimately addresses what has arguably been the key question facing Bulgaria in the post-Cold War period: 'Are we European?'
‘This edited volume serves as an ideal introduction to those interested in understanding where Bulgaria is coming from, where it stands today, and where it may be heading. […] The focus on shifting identities and perceptions is an integral part of the volume, with all the contributors shedding light on the ways that the relationship between the Bulgarian state and society and Europe and the EU have changed. This is a well-written and thoroughly researched addition to the literature on Bulgarian history and politics, and will be of interest both to Balkan and to EU scholars.’ —Alexandros Nafpliotis, London School of Economics, ‘European History Quarterly’ Book Reviews
List of Tables, Figures and Maps; Acknowledgements; List of Abbreviations; Introduction: The Europeanization of Bulgarian Society: A Long-Lasting Political Project; Institution-Building, Political Culture and Identity in Bulgaria: The Challenge of ‘Europeanization’; Appropriations of Bulgarian Literature in the West: From Pencho Slaveikov to Iordan Ionkov; Communism and Cold War in Bulgaria: The Absence of Europe?; Bulgarian Turks During the Transition Period; Women’s Identity and Social Policy in Bulgaria Before and After 1989; Legal Status and Migrant Economic Performance: The Case of Bulgarians in Spain and Greece; Bulgaria’s Path to EU Membership – and Beyond; Accession into the Euro-Atlantic Institutions: Effects on Bulgaria’s Balkan Policy (-ies); Mirroring Gazes: Europe, Nationalism and Change in the Field of Bulgarian Art and Culture; The Emergence of Regional Policy in Bulgaria and the Role of the EU; Epilogue; Appendix I. Tables, Figures and Maps; Notes; List of Contributors