Bulgaria - 61.04
71
They’re not even trying to hide it anymore
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Bulgaria showed its true colors. Roma were required to distance an entire meter further away from non-Roma than they were other Roma. A three-meter social distancing requirement was imposed between Roma and non-Roma, while both groups were only required to distance two meters amongst themselves. This law was part of a culture and government that is blatantly bigoted against Roma. While the Roma don’t have it very good anywhere, Bulgaria is far and away the worst country in Europe to be Roma. Despite this, however, Bulgaria is the highest-scoring country to fail the human rights category for a reason, outscoring second-place Colombia by almost five points. Bulgaria’s democracy is significantly stronger than nearby Hungary and Bulgaria is relatively wealthy. Bulgaria is generally free and its population is healthy. However, the government is generally regarded as corrupt and under the influence of organized crime. While Bulgaria has the potential to grow and develop, its consistent bias against Roma will hold it back.
Important Note: Bulgaria was scored very early on, and so some inconsistencies in scoring with other countries are present. These are minor but are present nonetheless. This issue will be rectified in the 2022 rescore.
Human Rights - 46
Bulgaria has fully abolished the death penalty. Parliament attempted to pass a law that would criminalize knowingly publishing false information about COVID, but this law was ultimately vetoed by the president. Even if it wasn’t, it likely would have been struck down by the Supreme Court anyway. Journalists covering sensitive topics, especially organized crime, face harassment from the government. Several journalists who published an expose about the Sofia District Attorney mismanaging funds were brought in for questioning and threatened with lawsuits. Journalists covering protests were often detained and sometimes beaten by police. Police frequently used excessive force to disperse peaceful protests. Dozens of peaceful protestors were injured when riot police forcefully broke up a peaceful protest in 2019. Roma were subject to different social distancing measures than non-Roma. Roma were required to remain three meters apart from non-Roma, while both Roma and non-Roma were only required to distance two meters amongst themselves. Bulgarian cities are subject to de facto segregation, which is tolerated by the government. Roma are often forbidden from renting by landlords or chased out by their neighbors. Bulgarian hospitals, including public ones, are known to have separate wings for Roma. Roma children are all but openly barred from entering normal schools. Roma schools are overcrowded, underfunded, and teachers are underqualified. It is rare for Roma to have anything beyond a middle school education. Trans Bulgarians are not allowed to serve openly. Bulgaria does not recognize same-sex relationships and gay marriage is constitutionally banned. Abortion is legal to twelve weeks.
Democracy - 85
The president is directly elected while the prime minister is chosen by the directly elected parliament. Elections are mostly fair but were subject to a few irregularities. Some 4.6% of ballots cast in the 2017 parliamentary elections were invalid, as thousands of Bulgarians attempted to submit several ballots. Bulgaria has a strong multi-party system. Private donors hold significant sway over campaigns and many parties exist solely to cater to corporate interests. Roma and LGBT Bulgarians are disenfranchised.
Freedom - 64
Parliament attempted to pass a law that would criminalize knowingly publishing COVID misinformation, but this law was vetoed by the president. Even if it wasn’t, it likely would have been struck down by the Supreme Court. Journalists covering sensitive topics, especially organized crime, face harassment and threats from the government. Several journalists who published an expose on the Sofia District Attorney were brought in for questioning and threatened with lawsuits. The government is known to pull advertising from dissenting outlets, which becomes problematic when many local news organizations are heavily reliant on government advertising. Roma are all but prohibited from living outside of ghettos. Possession of small amounts of drugs is punishable by a fine of up to $511 while possession of larger amounts is punishable by jail time. Distributing or manufacturing drugs is punishable by jail time. Bulgaria shall issue gun ownership licenses for handguns and semi-automatic rifles and justification is required for self-defense permits.
Economy - 80
Health - 72
Bulgaria has a life expectancy of 75 years and an infant mortality rate of 0.56%. 22.8% of Bulgarians are obese and 3.6% are malnourished. Bulgaria offers universal basic health insurance, but Bulgarians are still expected to pay for certain procedures. 84.7% of Bulgarians have clean running water.
Corruption - 21
The judicial system is highly subject to political pressure. Judicial verdicts are also bought and sold in lower-level courts and the constitutional court is the only court in the country not subject to corruption or political interference. Police extortion is widespread in Bulgaria, especially in Roma neighborhoods. Public services must be bribed into action. Permits and contracts are impossible to obtain without bribery, especially in the notoriously corrupt construction sector. Tax money is embezzled at low levels. Migrants are hassled and extorted at border crossings. The import and export processes in Bulgaria are subject to a significant amount of red tape.
Competency - 33
Bulgaria’s government is generally regarded as inept and under the control of organized crime, and this assessment is not far off. Organized crime exerts significant influence over the government. Corruption remains rampant at nearly all levels. The government has failed to maintain a proper universal healthcare system, despite one being set up during communist rule. The government is failing to protect and provide for Roma, as Bulgaria is potentially the worst country in Europe to be Roma. The government is falling to properly manage elections.
Future - 56
Bulgaria has made a rapid recovery from its communist regime. While Bulgaria has developed quickly, it will likely continue to struggle as a result of high corruption and a negative attitude towards Roma.
Actions Abroad - 60
Bulgaria has deployed humanitarian missions to Libya, Iraq, and Syria. Bulgaria deployed 510 troops to Afghanistan as part of the Allied Expeditionary Force, but they were withdrawn in 2014. Bulgaria is a member of the EU, NATO, and the Union for the Mediterranean. Bulgaria recognizes Kosovo’s independence. Bulgaria aims to maintain “pragmatic” ties with Russia. They have moved to recognize Russia’s claims to Crimea and have cut many ties with Ukraine. Bulgaria does not support Ukraine’s efforts to enter the European Union. Bulgaria has vetoed North Macedonia’s entry into the European Union, claiming that North Macedonia has been slow to accept Bulgaria’s Friendship Treaty.
0.9% of Bulgarians live below the international poverty line and 5.5% live below the national poverty line. 5.7% of Bulgarians are unemployed. Bulgaria has a moderate economic disparity. The minimum wage in Bulgaria is $386 per month. Bulgaria offers universal basic health insurance, but Bulgarians still pay for some medicines and procedures. Most wealthy Bulgarians pay for private healthcare. The Bulgarian economy shrunk 4% in 2020 and grew 4% in 2019.