PART ONE:
PROGRAMME GOALS OF BSP AND WAYS OF THEIR IMPLEMENTATION
THE MODERN TIMES - AN EPOCH OF GLOBAL CHANGES AND TRANSFORMATIONS
A predominant feature of contemporary world is the undergoing process, of a global scale itself, of technological, informational, environmental and demographic changes with unprecedented consequences, which lead to alterations in all spheres of people's life in society. The impact of these changes is seen everywhere - economy, character of labour, social structure of society, relations among people, and relations of people with and towards nature, management, way of life, scope and content of leisure time, international relations, state of human spirit, morality, health, education. creative abilities, thought and imagination.
No state or political party shall have a future should it fail to understand the undergoing changes in the present world and should it fail to adapt itself to them.
Humanity is passing through another turning point of development today. Different countries and regions are affected in different ways by the transition to the post-industrial epoch. New realities and problems have emerged, never seen in the history of the world before.
The issue of survival of mankind and of life as it is, comes to the fore. The advent of nuclear, chemical and biological weapons for mass destruction generated an unprecedented alternative ,,peace and survival versus war and total extinction". The threat of a global nuclear war has been diminished, but the danger of a nuclear holocaust has not been completely removed. The war can no longer be regarded as an instrument of politics in these circumstances.
Peace means not only an absence of war, but also new international relations of security, equality, non-violence and co-operation. Conflicts should be settled by peaceful means. Disarmament should keep on going. Security of small nations must be guaranteed by a system of collective security. Local wars and military conflicts should be averted. The hegemony of great powers should find an adequate counterweight in the world organisations and regional structures.
The question of establishing a new world order and of establishing in practical terms of an All-European system of security for all European countries is placed on the agenda today.
The imperatives of environmental protection in the contemporary world are of vital importance to humankind.
The environmental situation in the world is unprecedented. An ecological catastrophe may occur on the earth. The degree of global macro-pollution of the planet - of the soil, air and water - is alarming. Different human activities have left behind huge amounts of toxic substances which are piled in the environment. Forests are being exterminated, soil intoxicated, lakes are being acidified, rivers and seas are contaminated. Plant and animal species are in a process of extinction. Macro-pollution of the upper layers of the atmosphere is going up, and may have unrepairable repercussions. The danger of lasting breach of the earth surface temperature is ever growing.
All this requires a global environmental policy. The ecological transformation of present and future national economies is among the greatest challenges of the new times. Think globally and act locally - is the massage of this transformation.
Modern world is undergoing a new technological revolution. Post-industrial development of technologies lies in its core. Micro-electronics and informatics transform the production capacities of man, the communications and management. Production is being automated and robotized. Telecommunication technologies help building new systems of information on a national, regional and world-wide scale. Gene engineering and biotechnology open unexpected opportunities and generate unimaginable dangers. Scientific progress leads to discoveries of new materials and new sources of energy. Capabilities of the modern mass-media - television, radio, and press - become unbounded.
Humanity is in a transition from industrial towards post-industrial society.
Knowledge, information and education are to be the guiding factors of development.
The new technologies increase the production capacity in a revolutionary way but they also place the society in a position to make a choice: to produce more involving the whole active population at less working hours, or to enter a phase where a highly-productive minority will produce and consume ever more intensively, while large social groups will be doomed to unemployment and marginalization. Whether the new technologies will open up new scopes for development of the well-being of all citizens in the society, or whether they will divide them further into rich and poor, into privileged and wronged.
Deep transformations are to take place in the character of labour as a result of the basic changes in the sphere of production. There is a trend of emerging of new professions, diversification of working conditions, upgrading of qualification, increasing the number of people employed in the sector of services, changing the status and the interests of the workers. The character of labour in the post-industrial society and the post-industrial worker will notably differ from the industrial type as far as structure of the labour activity, profession, conditions, organisation and interests are concerned.
The post-industrial technologies are going to modernise all spheres of society. Only the countries, which can timely succeed in undertaking post-industrial modernisation and only the societies, which can succeed in promoting its positive and preventing its negative consequences will enjoy a promising future.
The new demographic situation in the world will exert an exceptionally strong impact on the present and future pace of human progress. Nowadays the population in the world is about 6 billion and is growing by a million every 4-6 days. Its largest part is concentrated in the underdeveloped countries and it is living in extremely difficult socio-economic, educational and cultural conditions. On the other hand, in the European (Bulgaria included) and particularly in the industrial states has emerged the acute question of the ageing of the population. In the new circumstances it is related to a greater extent to the life styles and the needs of the people of the rapidly growing group of ,,the third age" rather than to production capacity.
The most difficult among the problems to be solved in this respect is the ,,North - South" problem. XXI century is either to find the way and the means to overcome the terrifying poverty of the densely populated South, or we are going to witness a migration of immense proportions, unseen in history before, which may have unpredictable sequels.
Modern processes may fatally affect the future of Bulgaria. It can and must become a modern and civilised state. Modernisation (technological, economic, social and institutional) - this is the key word if Bulgaria is to join the modern advanced societies, and to enter the new epoch. The deeper the modernisation of BSP is, the bigger its role will be in the undergoing process of reforms and modernisation of Bulgaria.
The Bulgarian Socialist Party looks both with optimism and responsibility at the future. Our offer for Bulgaria contains a road and a policy, which can take it out of the present crisis and which will guarantee its modernisation in compliance with the global changes and transformations of the modern world.
SOCIAL GOALS OF THE BULGARIAN SOCIALIST PARTY
A key question of the current process of reorganisation of BSP into a new party is what kind of a society we, the socialists, want to have in this country in the next two decades and in historic perspective in the context of the new European and global realities. This question makes part of the internal party discussion and its answer is also expected to come from outside the Party.
The answer in principle which can be given at this stage goes as follows:
The Bulgarian Socialist Party is committed to the creation of a peaceful, free, democratic and of social justice society in Bulgaria, where the rights, the welfare and a new higher quality of life for all Bulgarian citizens will be guaranteed. This is our socialist understanding of the society, which is supposed to appear as a result of the undergoing political, economic, social and other reforms in our country. Such is our long term goal, such a society is the vision of modern democratic socialism.
In terms of social and economic development in the next two decades the deep going reforms in Bulgaria should result in a two-sided transition:
* Overcoming of the present grave economic and social crisis. And at the same time establishing a modern civic society and a democratic, constitutional and social state on the basis of market competition and an economy of social justice.
* Adjustment to the new post-industrial processes and trends in world development.
These two sides of the transition are divided neither in time nor in content. Reforms that are developing in the country should ensure their inter-link and interdependence.
The definition of the social goals of BSP requires a clear and concrete answer to the question - What are the socialists in Bulgaria in favour of and opposed to?
What do we, the socialists, reject?
* We reject war and violence.
* We reject any form of dictatorship, totalitarianism and authoritarianism.
* We reject trampling upon liberty and human rights, discrimination or persecution on political, ethnic, religious and ideological grounds.
* We reject the policy and activities aimed at national division and confrontation.
* We reject any attempt of encroachment on state borders, people's integrity and national independence of our Fatherland.
* We reject both national nihilism and national chauvinism in this or any other country.
* We reject any attempts of the great powers or countries to exercise dictate and hegemony in international relations.
* We reject the division of society into a small part of very rich people and a majority of poor and socially weak people.
* We reject social insecurity of the people, the lack of stable guarantees for their health care, education, labour and recreation.
* We reject the continuing division of Europe and the world into poor and rich countries.
* We reject the growing dehumanisation of society. the alienation and deterioration of the quality of life.
* We reject the uncontrolled use of natural resources and the very understanding of man as being nature' master.
* We reject the policy which brings the culture, spiritual pillars and traditional people's virtues to decline.
What are we, socialists, committed to?
* We are committed to peace.
Peace within the borders of Bulgaria. Our internal political strategy stands for a peaceful transition, national agreement, reconciliation, and dialogue for the sake of the implementation of the reforms .
Peace among the Balkan peoples. Our regional strategy is one for peaceful and stable Balkans. We stand for termination of the war in former Yugoslavia and for prevention of a Balkan war, for strengthening of the confidence among the Balkan states and peoples, for the development of bilateral and multilateral Balkan co-operation. We stand for Balkans of" partnership, of peaceful settlement of disputes, of matured good neighbourliness and regional co-operation.
Peace in Europe. Our European strategy considers Bulgaria as a peaceful element of the European structures. It is aimed at bridging the gap between advanced Western and backward Eastern Europe, at strengthening the peaceful economic and cultural co-operation among European countries.
Peace in the world. We are committed to the elimination of the war, to the establishment of a reason-guided global community of people and states, where peace and life will be equally protected, poverty eliminated and welfare achieved by all.
* We are committed to liberty.
We stand for pronouncing and warranting the freedom of citizens. It is necessary to ensure a strict enforcement of the Constitution of Republic of Bulgaria as well as a set of prerequisites for the liberty of every individual. A poor and dependent person cannot be free.
* We are committed to democracy.
Bulgaria should become a modern democratic state, based on the political activity of its citizens, with a developed civic society, capable of solving its problems by democratic means and of guaranteeing the rights of each citizen. A new element in the political culture of the Bulgarian Socialist Party is the notion of democracy not only as the most progressive form of government but as a social value too.
Today Bulgaria faces the task to avoid degeneration of the democratic processes in the country, to strengthen its democratic state institutions, to acquire a democratic experience from advanced countries and to achieve a new democratic political culture. BSP will contribute to the fulfilment of this task.
* We are committed to social justice.
We have overthrown the principle of levelling-out in solving this fundamental social problem, but we still stand on the grounds of the best traditions and achievements of socialism in the struggle against poverty, unemployment and plundering of the working people.
Quick processes of social differentiation are taking place in Bulgaria now. The Bulgarian Socialist Party expresses the interests of the poor and middle strata of the population, but we are not the party of poverty. Our social goal is, in solidarity with the entire society, to achieve well-being to all and just distribution of the national product, created by all citizens.
* We are committed to social equality between men and women.
A woman's revolution is undergoing in the contemporary world.
A comprehensive rethinking and change of the accumulated historical and present experience is needed so that the problem can be resolved. Progress is impossible without it. We point out not only the difficult situation of the majority of women in Bulgaria today. We draw the attention not only to the equal rights between men and women. The question is how to realise in full sweep specific qualities, way of thinking and capacity of women's values for the purposes of overall development, ennoblement and humanisation of society.
* We are committed to ensuring jobs and health care for all.
Each citizen must have the opportunity by his/her work to yearn respect of the other people, self-dependence and prosperity. The health and recreation of all people should be guaranteed.
* We are seeking conditions where the unfolding of science, education and culture will be a priority.
Investments in these areas are investments in the future of the nation, and ignoring them poses a strategic threat. No matter how great the difficulties of transition are, the state and the society should without delay overcome the present disregard of these areas and their complicated problems, which is totally inconsistent with the new time.
* We are committed to a radical economic reform at a bearable and just social price, to a structural and technological modernisation of Bulgarian economy, so that a qualitative progress can be made in enhancing the competitiveness of Bulgarian production and in improving the character of labour and the living standards of the people.
* We are committed to a modern environmental strategy and policy which will keep a viable Bulgarian nature and will ecologically protect people and their environment.
* We see the core of modern progress not only in improving material and spiritual conditions of individuals' and people's life - this remains to be the major question, but in providing a better quality of life too. It requires a re-examination of the entire development of the country, of the regions and of the world. The socialists stand for such a development which is oriented to this higher goal of the human progress.
No one can put an end to progress. In the modern world there are plenty of threats, including some apocalyptic ones. It is progress which can prevent the catastrophe and help mankind survive and use the new opportunities of science and technologies for creative purposes. That is why the Bulgarian Socialist Party shall co-operate with those forces in the country, Europe and world-wide which are striving for progressive transformations. We stand for such a progress which can block destruction and carry forward human civilisation. We stand for such a progress which will preserve life and save mankind from wars and catastrophes, which will provide bread, freedom, justice and humanism to all people.
Bulgarian socialists hold that such progress is not Utopia, but it is an entirely realistic alternative of social development in this country and world-wide and together with all left-wing and democratic forces will work for its implementation.
WAYS AND MEANS OF ACHIEVING OUR SOCIAL GOALS.
The Bulgarian Socialist Party is undergoing - on the basis of its own and that of the world socialist history, on the basis of lessons of the failure of the societies of the authoritarian socialism in the former Soviet Union and in Eastern Europe, on the basis of contemporary experience - profound rethinking of the ways leading to the implementation of its social goals.
Under the new historic circumstances the Bulgarian Socialist Party rejects the violent forms of winning power. We accept a new political philosophy- that of winning power through democratic elections, implementation of our social goals by democratic means on the path of gradual and radical reforms, transformation processes and qualitative reformations.
While rejecting the use of violence in political struggle, the Bulgarian socialists will never tolerate the use of violence and oppression by others either against freedom and human rights or against BSP itself. As for aggression against Bulgaria, we shall defend with all possible means, including weapons, the liberty, borders and independence of the Fatherland.
The Bulgarian Socialist Party has denounced the dictatorship of the proletariat and is opposed both in principles and in practical terms to any kind of dictatorship.
The path that leads to the establishment of a democratic society in Bulgaria goes through democracy, and not through its restriction and trampling. We stand for the parliamentary democracy and the republican form of government. We are seeking division of powers - in this period of transition, a question of vital importance for democracy in Bulgaria is the setting up of nationally responsible, extensively representative and competent Parliament, of a strong and efficient democratic Government, and of an independent, abiding only by law judicial power.
The Bulgarian Socialist Party has relinquished the imposition of ideological monopoly on spiritual life and social development. We reject unreservedly dogmatism and doctrinairship which inflicted severe damages on the party and society. We oppose to all attempts - no matter where they come from - to establish a new monopoly of ideas, to follow and import foreign models. Our party stands for a society with free and colourful spiritual life based on the liberty of thought and creative endeavour, on diversity and pluralism of ideas, concepts and values, on support of new directions of our spiritual development, as well as upon protection and respect of the valuable treasures of Bulgarian traditions and culture. In the sphere of thought, spirit and creative work any prohibition should be forbidden. In comprehension and usage of science, of progressive philosophical, political, economic, legal, and other ideas of value, which make part of the contemporary social thought, we view one of the basic prerequisites for a successful transition and we shall spare no efforts to achieve this end.
The Bulgarian Socialist Party stands for a constitutional state and for an upgrading role of the civic society. A democratic state is governed by legitimately elected state institutions. It guarantees abiding by the law and provides for the rights of all citizens. A civic society - by the activities of its various associations and by the activity of its own citizens - not only provides control over the state but it is itself an autonomous factor of democracy. In the coming years it is necessary to go on strengthening the democratic state institutions in this country at all levels and to promote the all-round development of the civic society.
The Bulgarian Socialist Party stands for the reformation of the commanding administrative economic system into a social market economy. The stage of „The Free economy" is already over in the developed states. The contemporary neoliberalism is at its sunset even in the US and in the UK. A successful solution of the national economic problems and of the task of providing welfare to all Bulgarian citizens requires a co-ordination of the market with just taxation, social security, ecological, etc. economic policies for the purpose of redistribution of the national product. A contemporary socially and ecologically oriented market economy - this is the right way of economic reform in our country.
The Bulgarian Socialist Party stands for the unitary national character of the Bulgarian State. We are uncompromised opponents to any kind of violent action against the integrity of this country or against the unity of the Bulgarian people. At the same time we oppose to any promoting of hostility among the citizens on ethnic and religious grounds and we are striving for ethnic and religious tolerance in the country.
The Bulgarian Socialist Party stands for political pluralism. One of the most important lessons, which BSP has drawn from the past, is the lesson concerning the authoritarian essence of the one-party political monopoly. We are aspiring after a multi-party political system and a dialogue among the political parties on different alternatives. The free democratic elections are the factor which is supposed to entrust different political parties with and to deprive them of the confidence of the citizens, hence the state power.
The Bulgarian Socialist party regards the judicial retribution with a political opponent as a dangerous recurrence of the distant and recent past . It is necessary to put an end to this deplorable tradition in Bulgarian political history. The Bulgarian Socialist Party is opposed to the policy of revenge, it is against political trials and political jails. We say ,,Yes" to the political responsibility for the policy pursued! We say „Yes" to the judicial responsibility for proven personal crimes! But we say „No" to retribution for a policy, to repression over a political opponent! Bulgaria cannot become a democratic state and a democratic society unless it stops prosecuting, discrediting and repressing for political assumptions and for a policy.
The Bulgarian Socialist Party stands for civilising of political relations in the country. Both winning and exercising of power, and its relinquishing should be performed by peaceful means, through democratic procedures. Political struggle among the parties must not be degenerated into political ,,tribal wars". The distinction should lead to a possibility of choice between political alternatives and capable politicians, rather than to devastation of political and alternative versatility and of the political opponent. The democratisation in Bulgaria needs democratic parties and democratically minded politicians it needs a civilised political life, political parties and political elite.
All these programme directives show that the Bulgarian Socialist Party is undergoing a process of acquiring a new political culture. Democratism is its main characteristics. We are restoring the best democratic traditions of our own party whose history is over 100 years, we are overcoming erroneous theoretical thesis and we are committed to combating any political distortions and to acquiring the most advanced elements from the world democratic experience. The socialists are democrats in the first place -this is the new political culture of BSP. Democracy is the road on which the Bulgarian Socialist Party will implement its goals and values in the development of society. Democracy is not only the road, but also a goal - it is a new understanding of the Bulgarian Socialist Party about the order in state and society.
HISTORICAL ROOTS AND LESSONS
The ideas of socialism have been shaped gradually, its emergence can be traced back in history. They are closely related with the ancient freedom–loving ideals of the Greek and Roman culture. More closer is their link with Christian values. Their immediate spiritual foundations are to be found in the humanistic philosophy, the Enlightenment, the ideas of the Utopian socialists as well as the working movement experience.
The socialist ideas, elaborated by K. Marx in the XIX century, appeared as a system of theoretical principles and a doctrine of a better social order, opposite to the existing at that time society of brutal injustice and exploitation.
The endeavour towards a more just society is indestructible. Ceaseless have been the efforts to improve the socialist ideas on the realisation of such a society too. These efforts may be successful only if the socialist parties reconsider the lessons of history and at the same time face the realities of the present day.
The Bulgarian Socialist Party is founded on 2 August 1891 on the ,,Star Planina" mountain peak Buzludzha under the name of Bulgarian Social–Democratic Party by Dimitar Blagoev and a group of prominent Bulgarian politicians and intellectuals. The merit of Blagoev and of the first socialists in Bulgaria is of historical proportion - they sowed the seeds of socialist ideas and values in Bulgaria and founded a party which was meant to struggle for their implementation.
The springs of socialism in Bulgaria are clean and of great social value. Gushing out of the brightest ideas of Bulgarian Renaissance and the struggle for liberation of Bulgaria from Turkish yoke, these springs infused into our social development the most modern at that time ideas and trends of the advanced European countries. In the current development of the Bulgarian Socialist Party attention should be paid to the revival of the most precious traditions of our social-democratic past: loyalty to the people and to the labourers, selfless service to the socialist ideal, high morale, freedom of thought, willingness to reckon with the national traditions and specifics, intellectual, moral and civic courage in the assertion of socialist ideas and values.
The Bulgarian socialist movement has been versatile. In its long history there have been different assumptions, currents and parties. Patriots and units, left-wing and right-wing socialists, communists and social-democrats - no matter what differences they have had, they all have contributed in specific ways to the unfolding, dissemination and struggle for implementation of the socialistic ideas. Versatility is not a weakness, it has been historically conditioned by the richness of the socialist movement. It was not the versatility, but the confrontation among different movements, trends and parties, the lack of unity and interaction among them that has been the great weakness and the great lesson of history for the Bulgarian socialists. The Bulgarian Socialist Party stands for unity of action of the Bulgarian left-wing forces and will make efforts for the achievement of this unity of action with all democratic left-wing parties and formations, and in the first place with the social-democrats, with the left-wing agrarian parties, left-wing ecological movements and others.
The most valuable part of the historical heritage of the Bulgarian Socialist Party is the struggle for freedom, social justice and democracy. Defending the fundamental interests of the working people, the socialists have worked in Parliament and local government, organised thousands of strikes, political demonstrations and campaigns and during the periods of obscurantism and fascism - uprisings and partisan movements. This heritage is an indivisible part of the struggle of the Bulgarian people against the trampling of liberty and human rights, for national independence and social justice.
Particularly remarkable has been the contribution of our party to the struggle against fascism. Bulgaria is strewn with common graves and places of execution and will never forget its heroes antifascists. This contribution has received a wide national and international recognition.
Participants in the anti-fascist struggle and partisan movement were people with high patriotic motivation, with clear morality and political consciousness, ready to sacrifice everything, including their lives for a free and just society. The unification the democratic anti-fascist forces in a united front was a remarkable historical fact with great significance for the victory over fascism in Bulgaria. The Bulgarian Socialist Party has a 100 years-long history. It has been written with the genuine belief of many generations of party members and sympathisers and with the blood of thousands of honest, able, worthy people. That is why it has deep roots, great political authority and moral credit among the people.
However, the party history is complicated. Its split and opposition to the parties of the social-democrats, its orthodoxy and sectarian ,,left-wing socialism", its insufficiently critical adoption of the ,,Russian path" and particularly the importation of Stalin's model of party and society in Bulgaria, its ,,doctrinaire's syndrome" alongside with the elimination of the political and organisational independence of the party by the Third International, schematised its theoretical thought and all this opened the way to serious errors in its practice, deprived it from the national specifics and caused an alienation from the wide strata of society, often prevented its partnership and co-operation with major democratic political forces in the country.
Extremely difficult and responsible is the task to reassess the post-September 9-period in the history of the party. We regard as equally historically untrue and socially harmful both the total vilification and repudiation of this period, and the disregard of the vices of the system of authoritarian socialism and of the errors and perversions committed in it.
It shouldn't be forgotten that after the fundamental change in this country with the 1944 victory over fascism, we took the path of setting up of a multi-party, democratic and just society. It was an original and correct path. But it was aborted due to the forcibly imposed Stalinist political and economic system of society. This fact brought about serious distortions of the principles of socialism in unfolding of democracy and led to trampling of basic civil rights, to violence against people. The Bulgarian Socialist Party considers the undemocratic forms of government as inconsistent with the ideas and goals of socialism and repudiates the perversions and violence stemming from it.
This country was faced with exceptionally difficult problems in its economic, social and cultural development during the post-war period. Bulgaria had been an isolated and backward country. The governing bourgeois parties had not succeeded in taking it out of this state. This task befell on our party.
All that has been created in the past decades in the socio-economic sphere and in culture is immense by its proportions, and it has been achieved by the Bulgarian people, by its talented creators and specialists, and it is a national capital. Successful qualitative changes have been effected which have exerted an important impact on the development of the country. Industrialization has been carried out. Modern agriculture, based on consolidated land massifs has been introduced. Millions of new houses and apartments have been built. A new railroad, air and water system of transport has been constructed. Free health care and general free secondary education have been provided. The right to work and recreation for all has been guaranteed. Science and culture have undergone a period of quick progress, which resulted in creation of remarkable works of arts, scientific and cultural values. A considerable intellectual and professional potential has been generated. Living standards of the people went up.
At the same time the commanding and administrative economic system revealed its principle and actual impotence to provide economic prosperity for the country under the new circumstances. Subjugation and excessive expropriation of private property turned out to be unjustified. and technological modernisation of the economy was delayed. Our production lagged behind the global rates of development and became incompatible. Rates of our economic growth fell down and the amount of foreign dept reached back-breaking proportions. Manifestations of voluntarism, bureaucracy and corruption accounted for the alienation of the people. In the last few years the country plunged into an economic, social, environmental and moral crisis.
When we seek the reasons for the failure of the societies of authoritarian socialism in the former Soviet Union and in the other Eastern European countries we must not be afraid to reach the essence of the things. There are at least four decisive reasons for that failure:
* The authoritarian political system which did not function in a democratic fashion and led to violation of the fundamental freedoms and rights of the citizens.
* The ineffective, bureaucratic, commanding and administrative economic system of totally centralised planning which subjugated and excessively expropriated private property, deeply deformed the market and brought about incompatibility of the economy.
* The merger of the ruling communist parties with the state which brought deep distortions of the role and internal development of the parties as social, political and parliamentary formations.
* The crisis of political and state elite which left the government of the parties and the state in the hands of many people with mediocre political, intellectual, professional and moral qualities.
The Bulgarian socialists should learn a historical lesson from the reasons for the failure of the societies of Eastern European authoritarian socialism. Bulgaria should not take the path of destruction but the path of reforms and creation.
The proper understanding of the significance of the failure of the Eastern European authoritarian socialism, of the disintegration of the former Soviet Union and the Soviet society is a very difficult task with cognitive, social and political implications. It cannot be solved quickly and in one attempt. Time, serious discussions and unfolding of social thought are required. Truth can be attained as a result of comprehensive philosophic, historical, economic, sociological, politological, culturological, etc. research. And it demands responsible political analysis from the left-wing parties.
Rationalisation of this failure is necessary for the socialists in order to avoid the errors, to learn the lessons and to define a new understanding of socialism in the present and future realities of the world.
Socialism cannot be buried as its opponents want it, or resurrected as some parties and activists appeal for, because it is not dead. One specific historical form of realisation of socialism has failed, due to specific historical objective and subjective reasons.
Coming from the depth of history and, facing new social, environmental, scientific, technical and civilizational realities, and looking for answers to new challenges, the renovated democratic socialism is passing today through a complicated crisis. While preserving the continuity with its historic roots, it is nevertheless a product of the new time and offers solutions for its Problems.
THE FAILURE OF AUTHORITARIAN SOCIALISM DOES NOT MEAN A TRIUMPH OF CAPITALISM
The societies of authoritarian socialism in the former Soviet Union and Eastern Europe took out their countries from centuries-old economic and social backwardness, but they didn't succeed in realising a higher degree of liberty and democracy; they guaranteed social rights but committed serious abuse of the individual human rights. Their failure is not a result of the victory of capitalism. It is due mainly to major drawbacks of the established political and economic system of socialism and its further fossilising and inability to develop in compliance with the new conditions and challenges.
The thesis of the final failure of socialism and of eventual triumph of capitalism is not a deep-going one. The crisis of both socialism and capitalism does not mean their end.
Socialism exists at one and the same time as ideas, social movement and social practice.
The causes and problems that gave birth to the emergence of socialism in life have not disappeared. Human ideals and endeavours that shape its content have not been achieved.
The history of mankind has not yet come to an end and the human progress goes on. The direction of their path is straightforward to a better order and functioning of society, not backward to the past.
The society in the developed Western countries today differs from the society of XIX century, when Marx and Engels worked out their theory. More than a century and a half has elapsed since then. Serious changes have taken place curing this period. The character end conditions of work have changed. Great social benefits have been won by the working people. The range of property has widened up and become more versatile. The span of history has seen a number of economic crisis and upsurges. The income of the people employed in the production sector has gone up. A numerous middle class has emerged. A real progress in the development of democracy has been achieved. The capitalist economy has adapted itself to the new technologies. A post-industrial stage of development of society is emerging.
However, the modern capitalist societies in the developed Western countries still remain to be unjust societies. They are miles apart from the ability to guarantee to the majority of people material and spiritual conditions for life and peace, liberty and welfare.
The society based on the principles of capitalism underwent development and change, however, it preserved its main characteristics. It is the profit not the man with his biological, social, cultural, moral, creative and other spiritual necessities, which is the guiding aim of economic development. The division between the rich and the poor is still there. Personal profit is opposing the mutual assistance and solidarity among the people. Money keeps on reigning everybody's life. The possibility of a decent living is fully dependent on whether one has got money or individual buying capacity. At the same time the opportunity to earn a proper living is too limited for a great number of the people.
Unemployment is one of the most acute problems of the developed industrial societies. The new technologies increase the profits, however implemented under the old social conditions, they throw out in the streets millions of new unemployed. Labour as a source of income and as a means of human realisation is placed in jeopardy.
The societies in the developed Western countries are not able to meet such new challenges like globalisation of the world, degradation of environment, unplanned exhaustion of energy and raw-material resources, dehumanisation of society, ,,North - South" problems. New ways and stages in the development of society are needed to meet and solve the new problems.
That is why the failure of the societies of authoritarian socialism does not mean triumph of developed capitalism. Even at its contemporary stage the capitalist economic and political system does not offer to man and humanity a satisfactory solution of their old and new problems in the social, humanitarian or ecological respect.
The Bulgarian Socialist Party views modern progress as a process of overcoming of the negative characteristics of both authoritarian socialism and the old capitalist society. We declare that we are no longer committed to the distortions of the former, but we are not identifying ourselves with the injustice and social oppression of the latter either.
Therefore the Bulgarian Socialist Party is opposing the efforts of the extreme right- wing political forces in the country to bring back Bulgaria in the time of wild capitalism.
The rapacious plunder of labour and people's property, unscrupulous jobbery and growing corruption, prompt enrichment of a few at the expense of mass impoverishment, elimination of social benefits, plunder of social wealth accumulated in industry and the ruin of the countryside is disastrous for Bulgaria. We, the Bulgarians do not need to return to the epoch of primitive accumulation, but a reformation of Bulgarian economy, which can help us take the country out of the crisis and will introduce us to the epoch of world post-industrial modernisation.
The Bulgarian Socialist Party denounces the road and policy of restoration both of our recent and of the more distant past. We stand for a progressive reformation of the present society and for bringing about a new society whose characteristics will not copy the past, but will be generated in the new realities. This is the greatest challenge we shall be faced with in the foreseeable future.
The new society, necessary for the survival and progress of present mankind, cannot be achieved on the grounds of one idea or through the simple compilation of two of them. It will be a synthesis of known and unknown ideas, being able to save the planet, to provide ways and resources for human progress, to control technical development, to humanise the life of man and human societies.
The values and practices of the self-renovating socialism of Our time will be built-in this new society.
FUNDAMENTAL VALUES OF THE SELF-RENOVATING DEMOCRATIC SOCIALISM
The Bulgarian Socialist Party is a party of democratic socialism, committed to a process of renovation. The Bulgarian socialists are among those left-wing forces in Europe, and world-wide, who are seeking an up-dating and renewal of the content of democratic socialism in compliance with the new realities and challenges at the end of the XX and the beginning of the XXI century. The Bulgarian Socialist Party accepts the classical triad of values of democratic socialism, crystallised in the Programme documents and practices of social-democratic parties and in the Socialist International: liberty, justice and solidarity.
Liberty - both for the individual and for the people. Every individual and each nation must be free of political violence and enjoy freedom to realize his creative potential.
Justice - implying equal opportunities, welfare for all citizens, elimination of any discrimination against people and social groups, equal value of all human beings and a condition for free development of the personality.
Solidarity - an expression of the communal sense of humanity, of the interdependence among individuals and peoples, of the necessity to interact in the name of human ideals.
Democratic socialism in its traditional type is aimed at social liberation, protection of the just distribution of welfare, combination of individual freedom with collective solidarity and security. It preserves its vitality and actuality even today in the new times. Without liberty, justice and solidarity the problems of contemporary society and of modern man can not be resolved.
However, socialism is a vivid movement, indivisible from the pace of history and society. We are at the threshold of the XXI century. There are intensive changes in the world, huge in scope and unprecedented in content. A new society is in sight, a new world, radically different from the present, with different problems and ways of their solution. We are entering a period of radical technological, economic and cultural transformations. We are facing both great opportunities for progress and prosperity, unseen before, and threats of self-destruction, non-existent so far. Humanity stands before a choice. Human civilisation stands before qualitative changes.
Regional and national challenges in front of socialism of the future in Bulgaria are great too. Bulgaria should be modernized in all areas so that it can accommodate itself to the new world. Bulgaria, the Balkans and Europe are not beyond but within the range of the new global processes, realities and challenges.
The period of changes, the world is passing through, cannot but provoke changes in the fundamental values of democratic socialism too. The BSP considers this a necessity. Our own process of renewal cannot stop at the achievement of traditional social-democracy. We shall lag behind the new times if we do not include the new, which they provoke. That is why we are a party of self-renovating democratic socialism.
A central place in the scale of the values of socialism of the future still occupy LIBERTY, JUSTICE AND SOLIDARITY. Alongside with them there are other values of special importance and actuality like: peace, environmental security, new quality of life, new humanisation of society, realisation of the human individuality.
Peace - as an absolute value in the nuclear epoch, as a condition for survival of man and life, as an elimination of war and violence in politics in society and in international relations. Setting up of a global community, of a peaceful human civilisation - this is the global goal of modern socialism.
Environmental security - as an imperative of any human activity under the circumstances of the new realities, as a prevention of environmental catastrophe, as a national global policy for environmental protection, as a new relationship between man and nature. Environmentalization of socialist thinking in the policy of socialists - this is a radical change in the modernization of socialism.
New quality of life - as a movement beyond the limits of present criteria for human welfare, as establishment of conditions for full-fledged realisation of the talents, interests and human rights at work, in leisure time and in social activity. Socialism of the future stands for a progress of various dimensions which includes not only high living standards for all citizens, but also an achievement of a multi-dimensional understanding of life, a bigger harmony among economic, technical, cultural and environmental being of man.
Humanism - as a triumph of personality and recognition of the fundamental human values, as a humanisation of activities, of social and international relations. Socialism of new times aims at renaissance of humanism, based on increment of the role and value of the individual. Propagation of technical, economic and social progress should be subordinated to the interest of man, not visa-versa.
Humanization of technical society - here is one of the most precious directives of contemporary democratic socialism.
Realization of the human individuality- not only as understanding that ,,all people are born free and equal" but as well as a right and opportunity of every human being to realize himself, his potential abilities in the society. Present day socialism does not distinguish itself from capitalism by the fact that the first one focuses on the collective and the second - on the individual. Socialism means creation of social conditions and opportunity for realisation of any individual and of any individuality. Society of free, matured and realized individuals - this is the meaning of socialism, moreover modern socialism of XXI century when the creative role of man and his free labour in all areas becomes increasingly important. Composed by societies of free, matured and realised human individualities, the contemporary mankind will have the chance to become a new human community.
Freedom and human rights of the individual in society are matched with the rights and freedom of other men. The question is to achieve such a high degree in the development of economy, democracy, culture, law and morale when it will be possible to ensure this value for all individuals in reality. It is possible, however, as a result of qualitative changes in development of society. It is necessary because without it humanity will go back to the age of slavery.
The Bulgarian Socialist Party views the values of socialism in close and indivisible link with Bulgarian national traditions and virtues. We are a Bulgarian national party committed to the national interests, which cultivates in itself national virtues and takes into consideration the national specifics. That is why in the scale of national values there is an organic place secured for patriotism, love of freedom, industriousness, studiousness, openness to the world, honesty, family devotion, friendship, hospitality, charity, mutual assistance.
The scale of values of the self-renovating socialism is open to development, parallel to the radical changes in the present world. In the most synthesised type today our scale of values includes: peace, liberty, justice, solidarity, environmental security, new quality of life, new humanisation of society, realisation of any human individuality.
The Bulgarian Socialist Party gives equal importance to all fundamental values of democratic socialism and considers them as interdependent. Each of them is a prerequisite of the others and cannot be realized outside their entire unity. In the implementation of these values within their integrity the Bulgarian Socialist party finds the reason and viability of democratic socialism.
THE NEAREST GOAL AND THE MOST IMPORTANT TASK OF TODAY IS TO TAKE BULGARIA OUT OF THE CRISIS
(Ten pillars for a LEFT-CENTRE AGREEMENT)
Today Bulgaria finds in a difficult economic and social situation. The country faces economic downfall and social collapse. It shouldn't be allowed to grow accuser. Bulgaria still can be brought out of the current critical social and economic state and the Bulgarian Socialist Party declares its readiness to assume this responsibility.
The economic reform should go on but through an efficient and just socialised economic policy. The right-wing model of neo-liberal economic relations failed.
During last four years of the change of the political and economic relations industrial and agricultural production suffered a dramatic decline. Unemployment goes up in dangerous proportions. The rate of inflation is high and accumulated potential of inflation generates yet bigger dangers. Unstable is the foreign exchange rate. Investment activity in the state-owned sector is blocked up. Investments in the young private sector are modest. Foreign investments are symbolic. Total state debt overshadows by 150% the gross domestic product.
Bulgarian citizens progressively grow poorer. The level of social security is alarming. Half of the population of the country lives under the living minimum. Individual consumption of majority of the population is consistently reducing. The state of health care, science, education and culture is exceptionally serious.
There are unfavourable qualitative changes in Bulgarian economy. Agriculture is heavily disorganised and paralysed. Unrepairably affected are main and traditional for the country export oriented productions. Investments for billions of levs are irretrievably lost for the Bulgarian people and state. Thousands of high quality specialists with higher and secondary education in Bulgaria cannot find work according their speciality. Deindustrialization going back to shop organisation of labour goes into deep conflict with the social arrangement and professional training of the majority young people and persons of middle age.
An economic climate is shaping up, which promotes speculative arrangement and motivates total refrain from investments and escape from engagement in production activities.
National production in its major share accounts for low compatibility and it is able to sell its products only under the conditions of heavily protected internal and external markets. Disruption of international economic system of which Bulgarian economy made a part, the country lost markets for over 80% of the manufactured products. One-sided and insufficiently flexible foreign economic policy do not offer acceptable alternative for the lost markets.
The state prematurely withdrew from the responsibility to manage the economy according to the formula of self-governing economic subjects in market economy. The state and economic administration cannot overcome strong politization and work as professionals. Corruption of state officers of all levels and strong personal interest in lasting destabilisation of the economy make its state regulation inconsistent, contradicting and awkward.
The system of taxation and the system of customs control is not functioning effectively and it has a very negative impact on the budget revenues.
There is a lack of national policy of transition to market economy. There are attempts of implementing foreign models for economic management, which are not in compliance with the specifics of Bulgarian economy and they are not giving the expected results, but they lead to new grave problems.
State leadership's attention is not focused on the main problem - termination of disruption and consolidation of industrial, agricultural and infrastructure productions. The current system of economic regulation offers higher and guaranteed profit without production.
The Bulgarian Socialist Party is aware that the beginning of the crisis remains in the past - in the commanding and administrative economic system and in errors of the economic policy. We are seriously re-evaluating this past. We remove committed errors, defend achieved progress and social benefits by the Bulgarian people, reconsider and accept positive experience of the most advanced countries. We start marching on a new economic road - on the road of constructing a socially and environmentally oriented market economy.
The Bulgarian Socialist party also understands that current extremely difficult economic and social state of affairs is not only due to the past. The crisis becomes acute and goes deeper due to imposed erroneous model of economic reforms by the right-wing forces in the country. The attempt of its implementation has failed. The economic policy of the UDF is not in compliance with the present realities therefore it deepened negative processes both in the economy and social sphere.
The social and economic state of the country is seriously affected by an acute political confrontation and the high social price of reforms. There is unwillingness and state impotence of the right wing parties to pursue a policy of national consent and unity, and to bring together the entire material and intellectual potential of the state for economic stabilisation. The crisis of political elite and of authority becomes a serious obstacle on the way to prevent economic collapse.
We are confident that nowadays it is not enough only to register and recognise the dramatic social and economic situation. Today the great national task is to find a way out crossing the border of criticism. It requires the elaboration and application of a positive, realistic, and concrete programme for taking the country out of the crisis.
The Bulgarian Socialist Party is ready to propose to the Bulgarian people and state and to the Bulgarian voter a pragmatic economic programme co-ordinated with the specifics of the economic processes in the country and in the world in the 90-s and is aimed at lasting solution of our main contradictions and problems.
We offer a programme of ten pillar items for taking the country out of the crisis.
First. Shift of the model of the economic reform carried out in our country. We stand for an economic reform. However, we withstand the ,,shock model" which discredited itself, because it cannot solve the economic problems and has a very high social price.
We are for an economic reform, which on the basis of the principles and rules of regulated market economy, leads to termination of the economic decline, to internal and external balance of the national economy, to recovery and economic growth - in order to reduce the social price of transition.
We stand for a reform which is in compliance with the Bulgarian economic specifics, the tasks to change the legal and organisational conditions of economic relations, of the structure of national economy and its product, of the structure of property and markets. Such a purpose requires a new economic strategy and a new scientific and technological, investment and regional policy.
The shift of the model should be carried out through a complex and realistic Programme of execution of reform in various social and economic activities, which is to be elaborated by the government and debated in Parliament. The chaotic performance of reforms should be terminated.
The economic reform is not an aim, but a stage of a long-term national economic strategy for development of modern national economy, which is the material base for the existence of the Bulgarian people and statehood.
Second. Preservation and development of the national industry. The Bulgarian Socialist Party stands for a new industrial policy. It must define with regard to the market the product and technological priorities of the new branches, as well as the strategy of restructuring of the branches and its activities. Urgent legal, economic and organisational measures are needed for stabilisation, sanitation, manufacturing, commercial recovery and technological innovation of economically viable enterprises. Insolvency of non-perspective productions is to be determined after a complex production and economic and social appraisal and secured labour protection of employed workers and officers.. It is feasible to apply flexible forms of private, state and mixed financing of programmes for stabilisation and development of certain enterprises, productions and regions. Undisputed remains the necessity of selected protectionism for defending the positions of the Bulgarian manufacturers on the national market. It is necessary to introduce economic incentives for the export-oriented activities. We don't reject state subsidies and preferential crediting of the manufacturers of goods and services, which provide civilized minimal consumption of any Bulgarian citizen.
Third, Termination of the devastation of Bulgarian agriculture and acceleration of the agrarian reform. We stand for urgent termination of the liquidation vandalism in our villages and for accelerating the process of restoration of the property of the means of production in the agricultural sphere. The buildings, equipment and flocks which remained undistributed should be preserved. The real owners must have the right to choose freely for themselves what kind of organisational form for their agricultural activity to give preference to - participation in agricultural cooperative or family farming. Deliberately generated legal, registration, financial and credit obstacles for the establishment and activities in the cooperatives should be removed. Encouraging credit, taxation, price and export economic regulators and mechanisms protecting Bulgarian markets of agricultural production should be introduced in the name of recovery and development of agriculture.
Fourth. Continuation of the efforts for integration with Europe together with selective restoration and stabilisation under the new conditions of previous markets and of economic ties with Eastern European countries and the countries of the former Soviet Union. Expansion of markets and foreign economic space of Bulgaria by development of relations with our previous economic partners, with the advanced countries with the Balkan and developing countries; integration into European Economic structures and activation of economic ties with the countries from the emerging Pacific Community.
Fifth. Social protection, insurance and promotion of people and social groups which have found themselves in a hazardous situation - unemployed. disabled, retired persons. The growth of poverty engulfing wide groups of society should be terminated. We stand for more operative compensation mechanisms for salaries, pensions, and social allowances in accordance with the growth of prices, inflation and cost of living. It is necessary to have the system of social care developed with richer material and financial opportunities and with different types of offered allowances in cash, in kind and in services. The reform of the social security system and its adaptation to the market environment to be effected in compliance with the living standards of Bulgarian population and without considerable damages for their social gains.
Sixth. Taking extraordinary measures for overcoming the dramatic state of health care. There must be provided minimal financial and material conditions for normal functioning of health establishments. The reform in health care and its introduction should not deprive any citizen from the rights and guaranties for available and efficient medical care.
Seventh. Preservation and modernisation of the mass education, salvage and development of science, arts and culture. Measures are to be taken to unify state, social, private and other resources in order to prevent a spiritual collapse of the country and nation. Without investments and promotion of production Bulgaria cannot survive today, without investments and promotion of science, arts and culture Bulgaria cannot survive tomorrow. The Bulgarian Socialist Party stands for gradual growth of the share of national income for the purposes of science, education and culture.
Eighth. Overcoming of the paralysing limits on local authorities and expanding of efficiently functioning local self-government. Termination of the trend of seizure of municipal rights and competencies. Ensurance of stable independent financial sources of local authority. Expansion of the rights and competencies of the municipalities. Strengthening of the local authority with competent and respectful administrators and specialists.
Ninth. Implementation of a balanced Balkan and international policy in compliance with the lasting national interests - for termination of the war in former Yugoslavia and prevention of a Balkan military conflict, for safeguarding Bulgarian state borders, for our integration into European structures, for provision of political, economic, financial and technological international support for the reforms in Bulgaria.
Tenth. Decisive and uncompromized measures against crime. A package of laws aimed at improving the work of the police, courts, and other bodies for struggle against crime. Rapid increase in the exposure and punishing for committed crimes. Especially severe measures must be taken against grave crimes, against infringement on life of the people, rapes, corruption, drug abuse and racket. Order, security and peace in the towns and villages should be warranted. Police - strong and protected against corruption. Strong and politically non-aligned judicial system. The backbone of crime in Bulgaria should be broken, until it is not too late.
The Bulgarian Socialist Party understands that overcoming the crisis and performing a transition will go on longer than it was anticipated and inevitably will have a high social price. However, we are also conscious that there must be special measures for taking the country out of this extremely difficult economic state and for warranting an endurable and just social price for the transition.
The Bulgarian Socialist Party offers a new model for economic reform, which is able to solve successfully the grave economic problems of the country but at a lower social price. We are ready to discuss these proposals in a political dialogue on equal footing with other political left-wing parties and parties of the centre, and together to work out and realize a left-wing or a left-centre programme for taking the country out of the crisis.
This is the socialist proposal for the society and the voters for taking the country out of the crisis. This is our offer to the left-wing parties and parties of the centre. We stand against the neo-liberal model of economic reform, which aims at elimination of the state interference in economy. We withstand the ,,shock therapy". We offer a socially more just and bearable transition toward a socially and environmentally oriented market economy. We express our willingness and readiness to independently realise or participate in governments, which will put into being such a model of economic reform.
The Bulgarian Socialist Party voices openly that it is ready to take government of the country should it win the elections. Accordingly we, the socialists, propose to the left-wing parties and to the parties of the centre a LEFT-CENTRE AGREEMENT for governing and carrying out the reforms in Bulgaria.
The Bulgarian Socialist Party is open for constructive dialogue, for constructive interaction with the right-wing political forces too for prevention of a social and economic collapse.
