Academic Public Lecture of Prof. D.Sc.(Soc.) Mihail Mirchev on The Critical 2014

Dozens of representatives from the academic community, sociologists, public figures, experts, diplomats and students gathered at the Large Conference Hall to listen to the public lecture of Prof. D.Sc.(Soc.) Mihail Mirchev. The lecturer from the Political Sciences Department and Chairman of the Bulgarian Sociological Association spoke on the Critical 2014: Elections and Bulgarian Society in the Cycle of the Global Crisis 2008-2014. The event was organized by the Economic Sociology Department and Political Sciences Department.

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Andrey Nonchev (on the left), Head of the Economic Sociology Department is opening the lecture. On the right next to him: Prof. D.Sc.(Soc.) Mihail Mirchev and Prof. Georgy Yankov, Head of the Political Sciences Department

“We live in turbulent times with new historical rearrangement. Comprehensive analyses and systematically justified prognostications are expected from us”, pointed out Prof. Mirchev.

The lecturer commented the crisis of the social system as a whole and the model for globalization of the world. He quoted Francis Fukuyama about the discrediting of the neoliberal model in the modern world, cited Zbigniew Brzezinski, Joseph Stiglitz, Paul Krugman, Noam Chomsky, Naomi Klein, examined the macroeconomic models for society as a dynamic system, etc. “The global crisis of 2007-2008 is not just economic and it affected the entire structure of society”, emphasized Prof. Mirchev.

The attendants at the Large Conference Hall

The famous sociologist spoke on the situation in Ukraine and new world order after Crimea, positioning of Europe, the geostrategic collision US-Russia. Prof. Mirchev reported the critical levels of social polarization and did not fail to note the new wave of populism in Europe and Bulgaria.

The lecturer commented also the issue of democratism in our democracy, its transformation into a facade one, examined the need for elites and civil mass. Using charts he outlined the stratification profile of the population in Bulgaria.

Prof. D.Sc.(Soc.) Mihail Mirchev

In the third part of his academic speech the sociologist shared prognostications about the upcoming European elections on May, 25^th, 2014. All data which he presented were summarized by several surveys and reduced to the numbers of actual voters.