United We Stand!

The beginning of March in Bulgaria is always a busy, festive time: Baba Marta; National Liberation Day; and soon it will be International Women's Day.

Within a period of only days, Bulgarians will have had the opportunity to continue traditional customs; to celebrate national identity; and to contemplate their views on social equality and rights.

When I was young, living elsewhere, I never saw the point of all those National Day commemorations: lots of speeches; the military, strutting about in ridiculous uniforms; flags and banners all over the place; endless rehearsals for school concerts then, later, disruption of work; city centers blocked off for hours.

What did all this mean to people, I used to wonder? Why such enthusiasm for public festivity? Fine, if it meant a public holiday, and a day off, but otherwise...

There was another element, too; a negative one. Being born and raised in Wales, there was a bitter taste to celebrating St David’s Day on March 1.

Wales has been subject to its large neighbor, England, for more than 700 years. There is no Welsh symbol included on the Union Flag. There’s not even a full Parliament (yet). What, exactly, were we supposed to celebrate?

Before he stepped down as British Prime Minister, Tony Blair rejected renewed petitions for Wales to have a public holiday. His reason? An additional day off would excessively disrupt the economy!

But, over the years, changing my homeland, getting older (and, possibly, a little wiser), seeing the ways European society is changing so rapidly, I've changed my mind.

The Bulgarian President made some pertinent observations in his speech on National Liberation Day. Quoting Vasil Levski, he said that "the biggest lesson is that Bulgarians succeed when they unite forces".

And that's what it's all about, in the end. I envy and respect Bulgaria, with its status as a free and independent Republic. A successful historical struggle for freedom needs to be celebrated, the results preserved, cherished and developed.

Parvanov again referred to Levski, "who defined clearly the goal of our liberation movement: our dear mother land to gain honor and glory to be equal to other European nations".

Bulgaria is achieving those goals - not perfectly, not without some recent  "own goals", admittedly! The country is taking its place on the European stage, in a way that belies its small size and population.

It has an economy that, so far, and with much pain, has withstood the global economic crisis better than many of its richer neighbors. It's one of the few EU countries that actually meets the technical criteria of the Eurozone, which is more than can be said of several current members.

Bulgaria has a rich and colorful variety of traditions, actively observed today - even by youngsters. It has its own language and literary history. It’s probably going to be the first country to adopt a Cyrillic web domain suffix.

But there’s a need for proper balance, for Bulgaria and all its neighbors. No nation state can exist in isolation in 2010. Diplomatic and political alliances have to be cultivated, of course, but not at the expense of renewed dependency of any sort.

Small countries like Bulgaria are easy picking for the "big boys". They have their own agenda, as always, and are able to exert all kinds of pressures, overt or hidden. The smaller players need to be agile, robust, and even tough, if they are to maintain their integrity.

Take, for example, the European Union. What, so far, have been the really tangible benefits of Bulgaria’s 2007 accession? It's early days yet, one must admit, and now that more funding is actually flowing into the country, the citizens of Bulgaria may well begin to feel some benefits. But, there's undoubtedly a downside, too.

It was a brilliant piece of PR, to invite the EC President, Jerzy Buzek, to Sofia on its National Day. But he got involved in technical discussion of MEPs salaries, and, addressing students at Sofia University, showed that the bureaucratic attitude prevalent in Brussels is not in accord with what many Bulgarians (including the government) feel about GMOs.

The next EU report on Bulgaria is due out any day – what "slaps on the wrist" are in store for the country, this time?

So, even as Bulgaria looks to deepen its involvement in the ongoing project of the European Union, it has to tread carefully in order to maintain its independence, and the distinctive identity of its citizens and nation.

Bulgarians frequently observe that theirs is a land of paradox; and this was demonstrated on March 3 by events in the southern town of Kardzhali.

In a gesture of unity, the mayor invited the local orthodox priest and the Mufti to coffee, in public. Meantime, black-shirted nationalists paraded through the streets, shouting racist slogans, while Ataka leader Volen Siderov led a merry dance. Which is the better way to celebrate the founding of the modern Bulgarian state, one wonders?

Even so, by now, I am generally convinced that there is a positive value in open celebration of one's National Day. It’s a chance to think about "the state of the nation", and to decide what part one is going to play in that society - a time for re-affirmation of vital personal and social values and of national identity. Because, in the end, patriotism is a subjective, emotive expression.

As PM Borisov declared at the end of the ceremonies on March 3: "Happy National Holiday! You should be alive and kicking!"

And, if I were not already mostly convinced of the wish to celebrate a National Day, there's one clinching argument - to listen to the overwhelming emotions of the Bulgarian National Hymn, 'Mila Rodino'! With its rousing music and impassioned words, it's even on a par with the Welsh Anthem.

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