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Project proposals for cross-border student initiatives
17.03.2010 The International Higher Education Support Program (HESP) of the Open Society Institute (OSI) invites project proposals for cross-border student initiatives from the following Southeast European (SEE) university student communities: Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Kosovo, Macedonia, Moldova, Montenegro, Romania, and Serbia. The aim of the Southeast European Student Initiatives (SESI) is to empower students to address issues related to systemic change in higher education. SESI supports the involvement of students in the democratization of the educational process and in building issue-based transnational student alliances in Southeast Europe. more Minister Fandakova: "Investment in education is essentially a counter-crisis measure"
19.10. 2009
During the afternoon session of the conference, participants in the forum discussed investment in human capital. more Bulgaria may become Europe’s new economic tiger
19.10.2009
Participants in the forum observed that there existed a risk for the successful catch-up achieved by new Member States to be reversed in most of them as a result of the slow-down in their economic development which was already experiencing the effects of recession. more Florian Fichtl: "New EU Member States to
undergo a slower recovery from the crisis" 19.10.2009
The New Reform Agenda of the New Member States is a conference organised by the European Policies Initiative (EuPI) of the Open Society Institute – Sofia with the support of the World Bank. more Minister Simeon Djankov: "Until now there was no political will for reform"
Mr Djankov explained that the main priorities of his government during their current mandate had been set in the area of education, healthcare, the environment and infrastructure. At the same time, he stressed out that over the last twenty years no real reform had taken place in such key areas as the customs and the energy sector. "What is more, among the issues in these areas has been the role of corrupted politicians with strong links to criminal subjects," Djankov emphasised. The minister pointed out that for reform in these areas to attain real success, it needs to be implemented by individuals outside the system. more The New Reform Agenda of the New EU Member States
14.10.2009 The year 2009 marks the 5th anniversary of the 5th enlargement of the EU, 20 years of the fall of the Berlin Wall and 1 year from the start of the global economic crisis. While the accession and Berlin Wall anniversaries provide basis for reflection and elicit important lessons, the global economic crisis effects inject a sense of urgency to look ahead. At this backdrop, the European Policies Initiative (EuPI) of the Open Society Institute – Sofia with the support of the World Bank, has decided to organize the international conference "The New Reform Agenda of the New EU Member States", within which opinion leaders, experts and decision makers to help charter with their insights the reform agenda of the region. more Cabinets in New EU Member States
27.07.2009 As Bulgaria is heading to a single party minority government in July 2009, EuPI has prepared a fact sheet with the longevity of governments in CEE prior and after accession. You can access the fact sheet "Cabinets in New EU Member States: Duration, lifespan and the date of accession as a turning point" here. The fact sheet is a product of the European Policies Initiative (EuPI), aimed at providing independent information and commentary on key issues on EU’s new member states agenda. more Open your mind and face the unknown:
the 2009 general elections in Bulgaria 01.07.2009 Ahead of the general election in Bulgaria on July 5, 2009, EuPI has released a policy brief introducing the main contenders, possible outcomes, several scenarios for a governing coalition and the policy implications in view of the multiple challenges the country faces amidst the economic crisis and the EU context. The policy brief "Open your mind and face the unknown: the 2009 general elections in Bulgaria" says that the upcoming general elections on July 5, 2009 are highly unpredictable as in terms of composition of parliament as well as the composition of the post-election coalition to form a government. more EUPI: The new member states are more "center-right"
16.06.2009
The policy brief "Elections at a time of economic crisis or elections in crisis: the score of the European elections in the new member states" says that the new member states follow the common political cycle in the EU with center right parties dominating in nine of the ten new members. But in comparison to the rest of the member states the new members are more "center-right", just a little bit more "socialist", slightly less "liberal" and much more "conservative" measured in seats in the four biggest EP political groups. more Brave New Europe Envisioned By Group of Ten EU Members
28.04.2009
"Not Your Grandfather’s Eastern Bloc" analyzes the positions of the ten new EU member states from Central and Eastern European in seven policy areas including energy, foreign policy and the economy. The report highlights key differences Europe would see if new members were driving the EU agenda: "The new countries are very strongly committed to EU expansion and economic liberalization," said lead researcher Marin Lessenski. more Europe's Largest Ethnic Minority Calls for Tolerance and Inclusion
08.04.2009
"Roma are threatened by rising ethnic violence and face intense discrimination, but have tremendous potential to contribute to society," said David Mark, ERPC coordinator. Close to ten million Roma in the EU face poverty, social exclusion, and discrimination. Over the past year, Roma communities have faced brutal violence in Italy, Hungary, and the Czech Republic, with tension rising as the global financial crisis deepens. more The Rise of New Protectionism
22.02.2009
A new EuPI policy brief "New Protectionism" by Estonian economic analyst Hardo Pajula takes on this debate to argue that that the division lines between proponents of free-trader and protectionism do not cut neatly across geographical boundaries of "New" and "Old". The boundaries are within the group structures of European societies, involving the major players and institutions in the EU. more Sofia High School Students:
The Main Problems Are an Aggression and Lack of Discipline 11.02.2009 Students in the secondary education system in Sofia find that aggression and lack of discipline are among the main problems plaguing schools in the capital, according to a recent report by Open Society Institute – Sofia. More than 2000 parents and 3000 students from 128 schools in Sofia participated, ranging from third to 12th grades. Many high school students (40 per cent) think that their teachers are helpless when it comes to bringing order in class, while 26 per cent consider poor equipment and incomprehensible textbooks as obstacles to learning. More than 30 per cent of respondents reported being threatened at school, and every fourth student reported having been tormented by classmates. One in five children had been beaten up at school. more Bulgarian Government Allocates EUR 50 mln for Social Inclusion
29.01.2009 Bulgarian government is to improve pre-school education of marginalised and disadvantaged children with EUR 40 mln loan from the World Bank. International experience shows that Early Childhood Education Programmes are an effective tool to stimulate educational integration and social inclusion. This loan is part of two Loan Agreements with the World Bank for BGN 141.7 mln targeted at enhancing the integration of Bulgaria into the European Union and raising the standard of living in the country. more BULGARIA IN THE EU: TWO YEARS LATER AND THE WAY FORWARD
20.01.2009
Mr. Barrot opened the conference "Bulgaria in the EU: Two Years Later and the Way Forward" hosted by the Open Society Institute – Sofia, in partnership with Center for Liberal Strategies (CLS) and the Confederation of the Employers and Industrialists in Bulgaria (CEIBG). The event was organized with the support of the EC Representation in Sofia, and was attended by Commissioner Meglena Kuneva, the Ministers of Justice, Internal Affairs, and European Issues, the Chairpersons of the two Supreme Courts, the Attorney General, members of the judiciary, and representatives of civic organizations. more |
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"Investment in education is essentially a counter-crisis measure," argued Minister of Education Yordanka Fandakova who took part in the international conference on The New Reform Agenda of the New EU Member States. Ms Fandakova added that the government viewed investment in the area of education not as a social activity but rather as a direct investment in the economy of the country. The minister drew attention to the fact that the country was lagging behind in terms of professional education, hence the damaged connection between education and the business sector. 
"Bulgaria may become Europe’s new economic tiger. This, however, may only be achieved if the country responds adequately to existing fiscal challenges and carries out all necessary reform," affirmed Georgi Angelov, Senior Economist at the Open Society Institute, at the international conference on The New Reform Agenda of the New Member States. Mr Angelov pointed out that at the moment Bulgaria met a larger number of the criteria for membership in the Eurozone than some of the current members of the zone.
"CEE countries’ recovery from the crisis will take longer than for the rest of the EU Member States," observed Florian Fichtl, Permanent Representative of the World Bank in Bulgaria, in his contribution to the international conference on The New Reform Agenda of the New Member States. Mr Fichtl explained that the economies of the new Member States, as a whole, were experiencing a successful recovery, but emphasized that the private sector was still facing serious difficulties. The representative of the World Bank cautioned that curbing unemployment would not be a fast process, the number of potentially vulnerable households would increase, while access to bank loans would remain limited. 
"What has so far impeded Bulgaria’s further advancement is not the lack of administrative capacity but the absence of political will for reform," affirmed Minister of Finance, Simeon Djankov, at the international conference on The New Reform Agenda of the New Member States organised by the Open Society Institute. 
A week after the European Parliament elections, EuPI is releasing a new policy brief looking into their outcomes in comparative perspective - a snapshot of politics across the new member states in the EU context. 
In recognition of International Roma Day, the European Roma Policy Coalition (ERPC), encourages the European Union and its Member States to tackle the recent wave of racist violence and expand opportunities for Roma across Europe. 
"Bulgaria cannot play its geographical and political role in the EU, unless it succeeds in combating corruption and organized crime", the Vice-President of the European Commission responsible of Justice, Freedom and Security, Jacques Barrot, said today in Sofia. 