Bulgarians engaging with NGOs almost twice as likely to defend democracy

In Bulgaria, people who are members of civic associations, such as chitalishte, trade unions, and NGOs, are almost twice as likely to defend democracy at personal risk (42% vs. 24%) and to volunteer in a crisis (31% vs. 18%).

The findings come from research commissioned by Open Society Institute Sofia, published in November, and are, the Bulgarian Donors Forum notes here, ‘a strong indicator that engagement with NGOs is associated with higher civic courage and democratic attitudes.’

The findings show that support is highest among people with higher education (73%) and residents of large cities, while attitudes are divided in villages – 41% “for”, 43% “against”. Two-thirds of respondents believe that Bulgaria will continue to develop democratically in the coming years.

Although 85% approve of fair elections as the basis of governance, 50% support the idea of a “strong leader who rules without parliament and elections,” and 58% would accept rule by technocrats. A military regime has minimal support (14%), with the Institute also saying that the fact that a significant portion of society tolerates authoritarian decisions is a signal of distrust in institutions and a search for alternative models.

Overall, 33% would risk their personal safety to defend democracy, with 20% ready to volunteer in the event of war. Civic activism remains significant – 44% are willing to join petitions, and the same percentage to take part in rallies and marches when dissatisfied with the government.

When looking for examples of good governance, Bulgarians primarily point to democratic countries: Germany (11%) and Switzerland (9%) lead the way, while Russia is mentioned by only 2%. Support for democracy is twice as high among people who support Bulgaria’s membership in the EU and NATO.

At the same time as the report launch, the Bulgarian Parliament announced the decision to create an “anti-Soros” commission – a move widely criticised by CSOs. The Forum states that ‘the report shows Bulgarians want more democracy, more fair elections and functioning institutions, not a witch hunt against organizations that have transparently and sustainably supported causes and needs for years where the state has been absent.’

It adds that ‘such actions do not solve problems – they deepen them by replacing the agenda with political spectacle.’ In response, Bulgarian civil society organisations have come together to create the Position Statement: a declaration that CSOs will resist any tactics to intimidate or restrict them, which currently lists more than 600 signatories.

Photo by Element5 Digital on Pexels