On Friday 10/31/08, we heard law and history professors from Austria and UNWE (speaking only in Bulgarian) celebrate the 100th anniversary of Bulgaria's complete independence on 22 September 1908 after 500 years of Ottoman control. Four years later, Bulgaria, Greece and Serbia pushed the Turks out of the Balkans. But dissention over control of Macedonia led to another war in 1913 and then the two World Wars. In each of these wars Bulgaria, sadly, was on the losing side. Then came communism for the next 50 years and the current wrenching transition into a free enterprise system. This nation may yet regain its former glory, although not to the level of the two great medieval Bulgarian Empires. Today, it aspires to become a free, prosperous and modern people -- with leaders like Philip Savov, Jenie Dinkova & Hristina Georgieva and our other law students in charge!
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That afternoon, after our walk back from Old Nesebar shown above, I presented my paper on "Federalism in the United States." It was translated by Prof. Boris Landjev (also in photo last above, alongside Prof. Ilonka Goranova). My paper addressed the U.S. presidential election coming just four days later, compared it to the Bush v. Gore election in 2000, and noted the existence of Civil Law in America (thru Louisiana and Puerto Rico and Mexican influences). That evening, back at the UNWE Center after our walking tour of Old Nesebar, four of our UNWE law students also presented papers, along with some of their professors and the law school dean (Kristina Balabanova, 2nd photo below). Everyone was pleased with this long and fruitful day. The next full day, Sat. 11/1/08, we returned to Sofia for another week of adventures and teaching at UNWE, as described on preceding pages.
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