The other civil society: digital media and grassroots illiberalism in Bulgaria

ABSTRACT

The goal of the small-scale exploratory study presented in this article is to examine the digital mediation of grassroots processes unfolding within Bulgarian civil society that contribute to the strengthening of the social base and cultural influence of illiberal ideologies and citizen organisations. While ample attention has been paid to the utility of digital media in progressive movements and mobilizations, much less is known about their use by illiberal activists. The methodology comprises two case studies, each focused on a different collective actor that espouses ‘illiberal’, nationalist and intolerant views. Using the concept of ‘uncivil society’ proposed by Kopecký and Mudde ([2003]. Uncivil Society: Contentious Politics in Post-Communist Europe, London: Routledge), the paper approaches the analysis of the positions and activities of these organisations from two angles: (1) the way in which these actors appropriate discourses of ‘patriotism’ and ‘civil society’ and (2) the way they employ digital media to construct collective identities and build up support. The analysis casts light on the role digital media play – at the hands of such actors – in the rise of illiberal and ‘uncivil’ advocacy that could lead to the conquest of civil society by illiberalism and a continuing political backslide of liberal democracy.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Notes

1 See https://vazrazhdane.bg/

2 https://www.bnoshipka.org/en/

3 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Shipka_Pass

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by grant 33/14 awarded by The Foundation for Baltic and East European Studies (Östersjöstiftelsen), Sweden.

Notes on contributors

Maria Bakardjieva

Dr. Maria Bakardjieva is a professor and the current Chair in Communication and Media Studies in the Faculty of Arts at the University of Calgary. Her research examines the evolution of the Internet and the use of digital media in various cultural and practical contexts with a focus on user agency, critical reflexivity and emancipation. Her books include Internet Society: The Internet in Everyday Life (2005) and Socialbots and Their Friends: Digital Media and the Automation of Sociality (2017) co-edited with Robert Gehl. Her latest book, Digital Media and the Dynamics of Civil Society: Retooling Citizenship in New EU Democracies (2021), co-authored with Stina Bengtsson, Göran Bolin, and Kjell Engelbrekt, is based on a research project that investigated the role digital media play in citizen engagement and democratic participation.