The European Security and Defence Policy and Bulgaria’s Civilian Capabilities Challenge

In the next two decades, the persistent weakness of some states and regions may well prove the greatest strategic challenge to the international community. At present, the EU is ill-equipped to deal with this type of weakness: fragile states may require military deployments of peacekeepers, but strengthening these statesor managing their collapse requires much more complex strategies, drawing heavily on civilian capacities.

Among all EU member states, Bulgaria is the worst equipped to train and provide civilian capabilities, shows the recent report by ECFR Can the EU rebuild failing states? A review of Europe’s civilian capacities.

What should be the approach of the new Bulgarian government to handle the issue? What should be the EU strategy for the future, in order to adequately respond both to the external threats of failing states and to the expectations of its own citizens to engage more on the civilian side of ESDP, instead of on the military one?