Strategic Aspects of the Economic Development of Bulgaria until 2020

The author discusses important strategic aspects of the economic development of Bulgaria until 2020. On some key issues the analysis penetrates further in the following decades. As it was 100 or 50 years ago, as well as at present, Bulgaria was and is among the last in Europe in terms of the most important economic, social and other indicators. One argues that the country can not afford staying on this ranking over the following years and decades. The citizens of the country would not tolerate it, and the other EU members would start looking at us as an accidental foreign object in the community’s organism. One could get out of this uneasy situation only through an accelerated catching up development. A thorough description of the catching up development is provided, as compared to accelerated development. The key priorities in the economic development of the country are pointed out. The most important strategic economic objectives of Bulgaria until 2020 are identified, and the ways and means for their implementation are enumerated. Two strategies are also compared.