In the years of the Bulgarian transition from Soviet-style state socialism to parliamentary democracy and market economy,the notions of the recent past experience profound changes.This process is predetermined by the new political imperative—the need to reorient the country from the Eastern bloc to the Western world.Changing the attitude of the Bulgarian society towards the socialist past is accomplished first through the change of curricula and textbooks,but also with the help of the media,which give floor to critics of socialism.Over time,however,especially since the neo-liberal economic transformations that took place under the so-called Washington Consensus led to deindustrialisation and high unemployment,a change in social attitude towards socialism began.In the 21st century,the attitude towards socialism changed.The total denial that prevailed in the 1990s gave way to a more nuanced picture—alongside the shortcomings and crimes,there are also talks about positive features of socialism such as social security and stability.This is evident both in the positions of the Bulgarian intellectuals and in the views of Bulgarian students about the socialist past.
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