The Transition
That Never HappenedAt Least Not The Way That Was Recommended

The Book

In contemporary Bulgaria there exist a large number of people, both young and old, who seem to have no knowledge or recollection of the not so distant historical and political past of their country. Some simply prefer not to think about it due to the relative ease of remaining apathetic. It is precisely these people that are so easily manipulated today. Many problems seem to arise from the fact Bulgarians tend to blame others for their own misfortunes. A large proportion of society believes external forces are “hostile” towards the country. Some go so far as to believe in a “universal conspiracy” against an otherwise “industrious and clever” people.

Today, 23 years after the fall of communism in Bulgaria, it can be said with a high degree of certainty that, if the recipes and time table provided in the Rahn-Utt plan were applied, the transition to market economy and democracy would have been far smoother and more successful. Bulgaria would be much better prepared for EU membership and would not lag behind other Central European countries. In the basis of the report lay the principles of a modern market economy and effective production.

The advice presented in this report was not followed in a timely manner. On the contrary, many of the reforms introduced by politicians in the country were in direct opposition to the proposals of the report. For this reason, much of it remained simply an untapped opportunity.

Author: Krasimir Lakov