Bulgaria marks its Day of Independence on September 22. On this occasion Radio Bulgaria asked several Bulgarians how independent they feel on that day, what challenges they face and what in fact they depend on in the 21^st century.

Vladimir Trifonov is a thirty-three-year-old Bulgarian who lives in Sofia. Here is what he told Radio Bulgaria:

“Unfortunately, the Bulgarian people are very dependent in the 21^st century - they depend on their job, on their incomes, their wealth and many other things. Everything boils down to money. You must rely on friends to find a good and well-paid job. If you can not rely on friends, things get difficult. We also depend on the overall situation in Bulgaria. Capitalism in this country does not have any social elements. People can be less dependent if they study hard, have the necessary job qualifications and plenty of luck.”

Twenty-four-year-old Todor Belenski from Sofia also shared his point of view with Radio Bulgaria:

“We are relatively independent, because we are not treated as slaves at least. Meanwhile, we depend on a series of other things such as finance, connections, etc. I never feel dependent. Freedom is an internal state of one’s spirit. People can feel independent, if their spirit is free. We should be more positive, love our country more and have a strong spirit. We should appreciate what we have and not be greedy.”

Vladimir Dimitrov from the city of Sliven is a social worker. He has been living for years in Bulgaria’s capital Sofia. Here is what Vladimir told us:

“I wouldn’t say that Bulgarians feel independent in the 21^st century. On the contrary, people have become more dependent and self-encapsulated over the years. We are highly dependent on other peoples’ opinion and are not completely free to make our own destiny. This is so, because we do not have the right understanding of freedom - to make our own choices and then take responsibility for those choices. In my view, the Bulgarian people have not learnt yet to hold their destiny in their own hands, to follow their fate and be responsible for their decisions. Independence is a process, rather than a single act such as revolution, etc. People must realize that their life is precious and should hold it in their own hands, instead of entrusting someone else to act on their behalf and later blame someone else for their problems.”

Alexander Ivanov from Bulgaria’s seaside capital Varna is also rather pessimistic:

“We can decide independently where we would like to live and develop. On the other hand, we are highly dependent on the state policy. Unfortunately, Bulgaria’s authorities do not pay enough attention to the educational and healthcare system at present. The state does not invest enough in its intellectuals either. Young people feel restricted in Bulgaria and many of them leave the country in search of a better life abroad, which reduces the country’s potential for progress. In my view, people are independent if they are able to maintain a normal life standard and have the freedom to live normally, instead of wondering how to make both ends meet. ”

We met with Tania Simeonova on Slaveykov square in Sofia. Here is what she told Radio Bulgaria:

“We depend on many things - on our job, on a series of circumstances, basically on everything. Both the elderly people and the children are highly dependent on the high technologies.”

Yordan Markov celebrates his birthday and the Independence Day on September 22. Does he feel independent though?

Apparently, most Bulgarian citizens do not feel independent in Bulgaria. The good news is that most of them have ideas and are motivated to change the current situation.

English version: Kostadin Atanasov