Papers from the International Scientific Conference of the European Studies Department, Jean Monnet Centre of Excellence, Faculty of Philosophy at Sofia University “St. Kliment Ohridski”
Papers from the International Scientific Conference of the European Studies Department, Jean Monnet Centre of Excellence, Faculty of Philosophy at Sofia University ‘St. Kliment Ohridski’ (IEUSConf) is an open-access, peer-reviewed academic serial published by the ‘European Studies’ Department of the Faculty of Philosophy at Sofia University ‘St. Kliment Ohridski.’ Since 2014 each year the Department of European Studies and its Jean Monnet Centre of Excellence become a hub of debate as university professors and academic experts gather to discuss the key challenges and opportunities facing Europe and Europeans. Each year’s edition of the conference is unique in its focus in order to match the changes in Europe and in the world. The conference aims at gathering academics and researchers from EU Member States, from candidate countries and countries - potential candidates for EU membership, or from countries that are part of the European Neighborhood Policy or representatives from other countries to discuss the most current and relevant topics in the field of European integration.
European Studies Department, Faculty of Philosophy, Sofia University “St. Kliment Ohridski”
This proposal follows from a classroom activity involving students learning French as a foreign language. It concerns the use of YouTube’s speech-to-text tool in order to transcribe automatically oral speech and to revise it in the post-editing process with students. Speech-to-text tools will be considered as a driver for developing new innovative learning opportunities for foreign languages in the EU at a university level. Nevertheless, this opportunity could only be experimented if a language is written and gathers a linguistic repository for all levels of communication. In the EU, all the official languages are recognised and have the same rights in the official communication, but the same does not concern regional and/or minority languages, nor other languages spread in the EU. Hence, after drawing the status of the EU languages and the functioning of speech-to-text tools, it will be shown that the most represented language in AI is English, despite many other official or non-official languages. The discussion that will be presented deals with the respect of linguistic rights and diversity in the EU, and with the way in which EU initiatives may contribute to it, also by developing proper AI technologies.
Fourth panel: AI IN EUROPE: A FORCE FOR CHANGE OR A CHALLENGE TO OVERCOME?
Is artificial intelligence a threat or a driver for European entrepreneurship?
The main purpose of the article is to try to answer the question -- whether artificial intelligence is a threat or a driver for European (EU) entrepreneurship. The subject of the study is the relationship of artificial intelligence -- European (EU) entrepreneurship. In order to fulfil a research goal, the method of description, the historical method and the system-structural method are used. Descriptive statistics is also used. It can be concluded that it cannot be said categorically whether artificial intelligence is a threat or a driver for European (EU) entrepreneurship. There are both positive and negative aspects and neither aspect predominates.
Artificial intelligence and civic engagement in the European Union
The European Union and the evolving AI environment present a new challenge for democracy initiatives. A key issue is to create a unique environment where artificial intelligence and civic engagement coexist. The study examines the role of AI in boosting civic engagement within the EU, examining its impact on democracy, governance, and public trust. The EU has taken a proactive approach through regulations for trustworthy artificial intelligence, but more is to come. Successful AI integration in civic engagement requires strong legal frameworks, digital literacy programs, and careful consideration of ethical concerns. Proactive legislative measures and multi-stakeholder collaboration are crucial for maximising AI’s potential while upholding democratic integrity in the European context.
The European Union and artificial intelligence
The European Union (EU) has positioned itself as a global leader in the sustainable development of artificial intelligence (AI). With a focus on innovation, regulation, and societal impact, the EU aims to balance technological progress with fundamental rights and values. Such an objective translates into the European approach to excellence and trust through concrete rules and actions. This article explores the EU’s strategic approach to AI, the Artificial Intelligence Act, investments, and the challenges it faces in a rapidly evolving global landscape with focus on digitalization in public administration. It contains general overview in digitalization in public sector, some challenges and benefits.
The European Social Model in the age of AI
The European social model (ESM) has been a pillar of the European Union, balancing economic growth with social justice. Yet, the emergence of digitalization and artificial intelligence (AI) is fundamentally transforming labour markets, welfare policies and social protection. This paper explores the impact of AI on the ESM, with particular attention to job creation and displacement, digital skill gaps, and changing welfare architecture. The methodology is based on a qualitative policy analysis and labour market data from the Eurostat and European Commission sources. The study analyses the ways in which AI-led changes will influence job losses, skills mismatches and the sustainability of the systems of social security. The results emphasize the importance of proactive regulation, investments in digital literacy, and regulatory measures to enable AI to drive inclusive economic growth rather than increasing inequality. The recommendations include lifelong learning, adapting welfare systems to new forms of work and responsible governance of AI.
The role of Article 114 TFEU in balancing fundamental rights and product safety in the AI Act
This paper explores the legal foundation of the EU’s AI Act, with a specific focus on the use of Article 114 TFEU as its legal basis. It argues that the role of Article 114 TFEU - in the Digital Single Market, and more specifically AI Act - represents a shift from merely facilitating a common market to constructing a common regulated market that embeds public interest objectives, particularly the protection of fundamental rights. Through analysis of the evolving scope and function of Article 114 TFEU, the paper examines how the AI Act navigates the balance between harmonising internal market rules and addressing ethical and societal concerns posed by AI technologies. The contribution also discusses the strength of Article 114 TFEU as a legal basis, especially when the regulation extends into non-economic domains like privacy, non-discrimination, and transparency. Finally, this contribution concludes that the AI Act reflects a new governance approach, acknowledging that the complexity of harmonising emerging technologies within the EU’s Digital Single Market framework involves market building as well.
Conceptual evolution of information disorder
This paper traces the conceptual evolution of “information disorder”, examining how the term has developed from earlier concerns about propaganda and media manipulation to a more complex understanding in the digital age. Reviewing key literature and policy debates, the study explores how disinformation, misinformation, and malinformation have been defined and distinguished across academic, governmental, and civil society contexts. The analysis highlights how evolving technological, political, and cultural forces have shaped the framing and governance of information disorder. Ultimately, the study argues for a historically grounded and multidisciplinary approach to understanding information disorder as a persistent and adaptive phenomenon.
Third panel: DIS/INFORMATION AND ONLINE PLATFORMS IN THE EU
Tackling disinformation online with media literacy by design and community-centred platform regulation
This paper examines Wikipedia’s participatory governance model as a framework for informing European digital public sphere development. Through analysis of Wikipedia’s two-decade experience with community-driven content moderation, reliable source verification, and decentralized decision-making, the study demonstrates how public-interest platforms can maintain information quality while fostering democratic participation. Drawing on Henry Jenkins’ participatory culture theory, the research shows how Wikipedia’s collaborative editing processes naturally develop users’ media literacy competencies through active engagement rather than passive consumption. The paper analyses Wikipedia’s recent regulatory experiences under the EU Digital Services Act and European Media Freedom Act, highlighting both compliance challenges and opportunities for policy learning. The findings suggest that adapting Wikipedia’s model could inform the design of a European digital public sphere that prioritizes information quality, user empowerment, and democratic discourse over commercial engagement metrics.
The role of Open Source Intelligence in countering disinformation and strengthening the European Union’s digital resilience
As the European Union confronts increasingly sophisticated campaigns of foreign information manipulation and interference, it must navigate the delicate balance between protecting democratic discourse and preserving fundamental rights. Unlike overt propaganda, modern disinformation efforts are subtle, often technically disguised, and designed to exploit the openness of the EU’s media and political environment. In this context, Open Source Intelligence (OSINT) has emerged as a powerful tool—not only for uncovering such operations, but for doing so in a way that aligns with the Union’s legal and ethical commitments. This paper examines the evolving role of OSINT in the EU’s disinformation response strategy, focusing on its methodological underpinnings, institutional adoption, and integration with emerging technologies like artificial intelligence. Drawing on concrete examples from recent threat reports, including the EEAS and France’s VIGINUM, the analysis explores how OSINT contributes to a more resilient, transparent, and accountable model of digital defence. The article argues that for OSINT to remain both effective and legitimate, it must be embedded within a governance framework that prioritises proportionality, oversight, and public trust with a goal to maximize information resilience of our Alliance.
This paper introduces WASPer, a classification model designed to detect propaganda in Bulgarian-language social media content. In response to the rising threat of AI-generated disinformation and the regulatory requirements of the EU’s Digital Services Act (DSA), WASPer aims to provide a practical and scalable solution for identifying manipulative narratives online. A thematically diverse dataset was constructed by combining manually annotated organic content and synthetic examples generated with a Bulgarian language model (BgGPT). Each text was human-annotated based on the presence of rhetorical techniques commonly associated with propaganda. The dataset was used to train WASPer (a fine-tuned version of the BgGPT 7B Instruct v0.2 model), achieving an F1 score of 0.853 on the test set. WASPer supports the detection of harmful or misleading content in digital spaces such as comment sections and social media threads, contributing to efforts to meet DSA obligations for transparency and risk mitigation.
Governing AI and content moderation online
This article examines the key provisions of EU legislation concerning the regulation of online content moderation through the use of artificial intelligence (AI). These provisions, drawn from the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), the Digital Services Act (DSA), and the AI Act, are analysed in the context of the established global internet governance framework and the European Union’s specific position on its development, including its foundational values and defining principles. The analysis supports the identification of key risks and challenges to the effective implementation of the EU’s legislative framework and ultimately proposes recommendations to address these issues and support the consistent and rights-based application of the relevant regulations.
Copyright (c) 2025 Papers from the International Scientific Conference of the European Studies Department, Jean Monnet Centre of Excellence, Faculty of Philosophy at Sofia University “St. Kliment Ohridski”
Why freedom of speech in the EU is not equivalent to the freedom of online platforms to be irresponsible and unaccountable
In 2025, the European Union (EU) faced increasing criticism concerning its approach to freedom of speech in the digital environment. This paper argues that such criticism is less about the EU undermining free expression and more about resistance to the Union’s attempts to regulate online intermediary service providers, including major technology platforms categorised as Very large online platforms (VLOPs) and Very large online search engines (VLOSEs) under Digital Services Act (DSA). From a political science perspective, the controversy reflects a broader struggle over digital sovereignty, regulatory power, and the reconfiguration of responsibility in the online public sphere. The EU’s regulatory initiatives -- most notably the DSA, Digital Markets Act (DMA), the Artificial Intelligence Act (AI Act), and the European Democracy Shield -- signal a shift towards holding digital platforms more accountable as actors with public responsibilities. This study situates the debate within the framework of democratic governance, exploring the interests and narratives of key stakeholders, including Big Tech, who often frame regulatory oversight as a threat to freedom of expression while avoiding obligations to democratic norms. The analysis contributes to understanding the political dynamics shaping digital regulation and the evolving boundaries of free speech online in the EU’s normative order in comparison to United States (US).
Digital democratic participation tools and EU cohesion policies
The political debate on the protection of minorities and the diversity that characterises the EU Members States’ territories remains open; it involves the Union’s growth strategies and pushes for the promotion of an inclusive European identity that respects the geographical and cultural diversity of the European regions. Some European Citizens’ Initiative (ECI) push the EU to distinguish at a regulatory level geographical areas with cultural, ethnic, linguistic or religious specificities from the wider neighbouring areas of the Member State in which they are located; to adopt, for example, the concept of “region with a national minority” and to protect the specific groups located in the Union in line with Article 2 TEU and the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union (hereinafter: Charter). This proves that bottom-up impulses, which the EU facilitates in a pioneering way, can synthesise the EU democratic and participatory values and the aims of social and economic progress and that e-participation and cohesion policy can foster unexplored perspectives in the integration process. The paper* aims to reconstruct the essential characteristics and purposes of European cohesion policies and digital participation tools also considering the relevant European jurisprudence; investigate their ability to contribute to the future of the Union; deepen the interactions useful for protecting the singular groups present within the members.
Second panel: EUROPEAN IDENTITY, ENLARGEMENT, SKILLS AND CULTURE
In recent years, cultural diplomacy became a key tool in international relations, crisis resolution and nation branding. It also proved to be one of the most effective ways to build meaningful connections between states and peoples. A strong cultural presence abroad allowed countries to assert their distinctive identity, improve their public image, share ideas, models and values, increase or maintain their influence, make allies and open new avenues for dialogue with conflicting states when other means have become impossible. Cultural diplomacy initiatives have been implemented by individual countries and national governments as well as by supranational political and economic organisations such as the European Union. EU has been using cultural instruments to its advantage for many years, especially in times when it has not been sure of its other sources of power. Moreover, the European Union pursued its foreign cultural policy towards non-member states, and all the more important, towards the Western Balkans, aiming to facilitate and accelerate their EU integration.
Exploring beyond the formal characteristics of the EU enlargement policy
The shifting security environment in Europe necessitates an urgent reform of the EU’s enlargement policy. Its meaningful redefinition requires a systematic understanding of the underlying principles, operational mechanisms, and their concrete effects. This paper examines its real-world application by studying the European Commission’s annual reports for four candidate and potential candidate countries. Using a mixed-method qualitative-quantitative approach, we identify key structural characteristics beyond official discourse. These findings lay the groundwork for significant reforms in the EU’s approach to future enlargements.
Transformation in the Western Balkans and former Soviet states
Political rights, citizenship and EU values
This article examines the compatibility of national laws in the Czech Republic and Poland - which restrict membership in political parties to nationals - with Article 22 TFEU, in light of two recent CJEU judgments. It explores the implications of these rulings for the political rights of mobile EU citizens, their participation in the democratic life of their host Member States, and the broader interconnection between citizenship, democracy, and EU values. By analysing the Court’s reasoning and the underlying legal framework, the article highlights how the rulings affirm a substantive vision of Union citizenship grounded in equality and representative democracy. The conclusion offers critical reflections on the current state of political consciousness in the EU and the challenges facing the integration of mobile citizens into national political life.
Can the simple questioning of all the premises that formed the basis of the creation of the European Union (peace, stability, prosperity and solidarity) endanger the contemporary European construction itself? This paper seeks through exploratory research of the historiography of crises, to demonstrate that the immediate effects of recent and current crises (instability, lack of solidarity, mistrust or fear), deeply affect precisely the identity foundations of the European construction: well-being, mercy and Christian empathy, trust in institutions and peace. By means of causal demonstration, the text highlights the immediate psychological mass effects after each crisis, then seeking to highlight the connection between these effects and the objectives and values of the EU that they affect, undermine, threaten. The final purpose of the paper lies in the answer to the research question announced, namely in an initial assessment of the extent to which the period of recent European history and its crises affect the European project itself by questioning its identity elements.
The shock impact of President Trump’s rhetoric on European identity
This paper examines the impact of President Donald Trump’s rhetoric on European identity during his first term (2017-2021). Traditionally, the European Union (EU) has aligned its foreign policy and cultural identity closely with the transatlantic partnership, sharing values such as democracy, liberalism, and the rule of law. However, Trump’s “America First” policy and disruptive rhetorical style marked a significant shift, transforming the EU’s perception of the US from a reliable partner to a “problematic other.” The paper concludes that Trump’s presidency acted as a discursive turning point in transatlantic relations, challenging long-standing principles of cooperation and legitimacy. This crisis evolved into an opportunity for the EU to define its role more clearly in the 21st century, asserting itself as a global actor committed to multilateralism, responsibility, and shared values.
The migration phenomenon has consistently accompanied European civilization’s development. Today, the processes of globalization and European integration are intensifying the impact of migration across the European continent. These processes increase the scale of migratory flows, diversify migratory patterns, and stimulate new forms of identity, connectivity, and solidarity. These new forms of relationships between the country of origin, migrants, and the country of destination bring valuable resources for social, economic, and political development. This analysis is dedicated to examining the potential of mobile EU citizens to enhance political stability and the quality of democracy, both within their home countries and throughout the European Union. The findings reveal an intriguing paradox. Despite the considerable potential for contribution, mobile citizens appear to face disadvantages concerning one of the most noticeable aspects of democratic participation at the EU level--European Parliament elections.
First panel: THE EUROPEAN UNION IN A NEW GLOBAL CONTEXT
Navigating change: the new European Parliament, Euroscepticism, and the global political landscape
This paper examines the interplay between the newly constituted European Parliament (EP), the rise of Euroscepticism, and the evolving global political landscape. An analysis is presented herein of how Eurosceptic sentiment, originating in socioeconomic discrepancies, cultural concerns, and perceived democratic deficit, influences EP’s debates. The initial phase of the research involves constructing a conceptual framework encompassing the ideologies of the EP’s political groups. The principal hypothesis is substantiated by a content analysis of EP debates. By adopting an integrated analytical lens, the paper offers a comprehensive understanding of how internal political dynamics and global pressures converge to shape the EU’s trajectory in an era of uncertainty. By analysing stenographic records of parliamentary speeches, the study identifies three dominant rhetorical patterns: (1) agenda shifting through thematic reframing, (2) strategic avoidance of participation in politically sensitive debates, and (3) the deployment of emotionally charged, populist rhetoric alongside pragmatic critiques. Drawing on discourse theory and typologies of Euroscepticism, the analysis reveals how parties from across the Eurosceptic spectrum engage with EU policy in ways that both challenge and adapt to the institutional context of the EP.
Strengthening EU legitimacy through self-organizing governance
The European Union (EU) faces interconnected legitimacy challenges stemming from perceptions of a democratic deficit and the strain of recurring crises. While existing research has documented these challenges, less attention has been paid to how network dynamics within EU institutions could address them. This paper proposes a novel analytical framework based on self-organizing network theory to examine how decentralized, adaptive governance patterns can strengthen legitimacy and improve crisis responses within the EU’s multi-level governance system. By comparing how the EU has responded to different crises, the paper investigates the mechanisms through which distributed authority architectures, metagovernance feedback loops, and emergent polycentric coordination may enhance multi-level governance, bridge representation gaps, and reinforce institutional resilience. The paper’s findings suggest that incorporating self-organizing network principles into institutional design could help the EU better balance flexibility and stability in crisis management while strengthening democratic legitimacy. This research contributes to ongoing debates on EU governance by offering practical insights into how institutional design can adapt to polycrisis conditions.
Blue dimensions of the European green deal
Over the past ten years, the European economy has faced a number of challenges: Britain’s exit from the EU, the COVID 19 pandemic, Russian aggression in Ukraine that escalated into war, the struggle for energy independence on the continent, the migration flow, and the increasing influence of far-right political movements. This line of events, however, is accompanied by one fundamental goal of the Union, namely sustainable development. A key instrument for achieving this is the so-called Green Deal, which has acquired a new blue hue in recent years. The aim of this study is to analyse how the blue economy contributes to the European Green Deal objectives, as oceans and seas cover a vast area of the EU territory and around two thirds of the Earth’s surface.
Strategies for strengthening relations between the European Union and Latin America
This paper focuses on the EU’s position in Latin America in the context of rising global tensions and rivalries. The increase economic presence of China and the disinformation campaigns of Russia are pushing and endangering the European Union (EU) standing in the continent. Furthermore, Latin American countries are facing a wide range of local challenges, which additionally obstruct the cooperation between the EU and Latin America. To maintain a stable and productive relationship, the EU should navigate these waters carefully. In this context, Uruguay’s political and economic stability provides a reliable and secure environment for international negotiations and agreements. Although a relatively small country for the region, Uruguay, could act as a bridge between the EU and Latin America and play a crucial mediating role in strengthening relations between the European Union and Latin America.
This study examines the evolving national security strategies of four NATO eastern flank countries -- Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Estonia, and Latvia -- amid growing uncertainty surrounding U.S. commitment to European defense, particularly during and after the Trump administration. Prompted by Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine, each nation has revised its strategic posture, emphasising NATO’s central role while downplaying the EU’s capacity as a standalone security guarantor. Despite similarities in threat perception and the prioritization of deterrence, notable differences exist in strategic focus, procurement policies, and levels of domestic consensus. All four countries remain heavily reliant on U.S. military presence and funding, with limited investment in hedging strategies or EU-based security alternatives. This dependency exposes them to heightened vulnerability should U.S. foreign policy shift away from European commitments. The paper concludes that without diversified security frameworks, these states risk deepening strategic insecurity, underscoring the limitations of their current “logic of attractiveness” toward the United States.
This paper examines the development of the European Union’s Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) Screening Mechanism as a response to mounting geopolitical tensions and the securitisation of economic policy. It traces the progression from the coordination-based Regulation (EU) 2019/452 to the more assertive 2024 reform proposal, showing how strategic concerns -- particularly over Chinese investment -- have reshaped the EU’s approach to foreign capital. While aiming to balance strategic autonomy with continued openness, the EU has seen declining FDI inflows and a shrinking share of global investment, raising concerns about competitiveness. By assessing policy developments and investment trends, the paper evaluates whether the screening regime can enhance economic security without fragmenting the single market or deterring investment. The findings highlight the EU’s effort to reconcile liberal market commitments with growing demands for control, resilience, and geopolitical awareness.
Initial assessments suggest an increase in European defence spending of about 250 billion euros annually (to around 3.5 percent of GDP) is warranted in the short term. However, most of this additional expenditure will be implemented at a national level for national needs. This paper highlights that Europe remains a wealthy continent characterised by greater cash reserves, higher household savings and a significantly higher rate of mortgage free homeowners than the United States. Europe possesses ample financial resources to support higher levels of defence spending. Italian households alone save approximately 400 billion euros annually, with the majority of these savings resting in low yielding bank deposit accounts or insurance policies. Across Europe, trillions of euros of household savings remain underutilised. In this context, this paper highlights that European households should be better incentivised to participate in national level investment accounts that offer additional tax and financial benefits. These accounts can be specifically constructed to channel household savings into long term security and defence investments. Europe’s capital markets must be built at the national level before grander European plans become politically achievable. The UK ISA model in identified as a template in this regard.
Last year the Euro turned 25. In this work, we discuss future opportunities and challenges for the use of the euro at three levels. First, taking stock from the Euro Area (EA) achievements in the global rivalry, we summarize the euro’s international role and its potential to replace the American dollar as the currency of choice. Second, the paper highlights controversy between the catalytic role of the euro for further economic integration in Europe in an environment of global market and political fragmentation and its use as a political symbol. Based on the findings, we discuss the need Bulgaria as an EU member to strengthen its economic governance in response to challenges. JEL Classifications: E020, F31, F33, F65, F360, H1
The role of the digital euro in a global and regional context
The digital transformation affected how we live, work, trade, travel and use different services. It also affected how citizens and businesses interact with governments, how we make our everyday payments and transactions. Step by step, it also influences the way monetary policy will be conducted in the future. The efforts to introduce a digital euro in the EU aim to respond to all those changes and transformations. The current paper will describe the concept, the role and the project itself for the future digital euro. It presents a large number of opportunities, including for Bulgaria, in relation to the future digital legal tender and means of payment. But the digital euro is associated with many challenges and risks, which will also be described. There are still many uncertainties about the design and concrete characteristics of the digital euro. However, one thing is certain. After its introduction, the digital and financial inclusion, the payment landscape and the ECB monetary policy will be substantially different.