On October 20-23 the Bulgarian Fulbright Commission will hold its third International Seminar on Strengthening Democracy. This time, the focus will be on the Rule of Law: National and International Perspectives. We are pleased to share the event program with you, and invite those of you who are interested in the subject to sign up for in-person or online participation here: https://www.fulbright.bg/en/fis-2022/

Some of our keynote speakers include _Dr. Balint Magyar _a leading Hungarian sociologist, author of "The Post-Communist Mafia State: The Case of Hungary" and "The Anatomy of Post-Communist Regimes"; _Judge Jane Milazzo_ of the United States District Court, Eastern District of Louisiana, _Judge Alexander Arabadjiev_ from the European Court of Justice, _Judge Ekaterina Trendafilova_ - a former member of the International Criminal Court and President of the Kosovo Specialist Chamber, _Prof. Gentian Zyberi _from the Norwegian Center for Human Rights. Distinguished and talented speakers are featured in the panel sessions and the workshops.

Fulbright International Seminar

Strategies for Strengthening of Democracy and Rule of Law:

National and International Perspectives

Sofia, Oct. 20-23, 2022

Launchee Space, TZUM, 2 Knyaginya Maria Luiza Blvd., Sofia, 1000

October 20 (Thursday)

4:00 - 4:10 Official Opening Speeches (US Embassy, BG Council of Ministers)

Topic: Justice, Civic Awareness and Rule of Law in Young Democracies

4:10 - 5:20 Keynote Lecture

Dr. Balint Magyar, Senior Researcher, CEU Democracy Institute

Re-Democratization and Anti-Patronal Transformation: Chances and

Possibilities.

(Q&A)

5:20 - 5:30 Break

5:30 - 7:00 Panel Discussion: Tensions in the Functioning of Post-Communist Justice

Systems (constitutional and civic dimensions)

Judge Kalin Kalpakchiev, Appellate Court - Sofia, former Supreme Judicial

Council Member

Assoc. Prof. Deyana Marcheva, New Bulgarian University

Lyubomir Avdjiiski, Graduate Researcher in National Security, Pennsylvania

State University

(Q&A)

7:00 – 9:00 Welcome Reception – Bar Story

October 21 (Friday)

Topic: Defining National Interest on Supranational and International Level

4:00 - 5:20 Panel Discussion: Capacity of Democratic Institutions for Defining and

Protecting Long-Term National Interest

Radan Kanev, Member of European Parliament

Dr. Denitsa Hinkova, Department of Public Administration, Sofia University

Prof. Martin Belov, Department of Constitutional Law Studies, Sofia

University

(Q&A)

5:20 -5:30 Break

5:30 - 7:00 Panel Discussion: Defending the National interest: between the State of Emergency and the Global Values of Democracy

Prof. Kacper Gradon, University College London

Aleksader Kashumov, Attorney at Law

Prof. Diana Kovacheva, Ombudsman of the Republic of Bulgaria

(Q&A)

7:00 - 8:00 Workshop: The National Security Landscape – Navigating in the 21st Century

Prof. Kacper Gradon, University College London

October 22 (Saturday)

Topic: The Role of High Courts and Constitutional Courts in Shaping Public Opinion

4:00 - 5:20 Keynote Speakers:

Judge Jane Milazzo, United States District Court, Eastern District of Louisiana

Judge Alexander Arabadjiev, Court of Justice of the European Union

(Q&A)

5:20 -5:30 Break

5:30 – 7:00 Panel Discussion: Conservative Versus Progressive Tendencies in High and

Constitutional Courts’ Decisions

Judge Jane Milazzo, United States District Court, Eastern District of Louisiana

Judge Maureen Duffy-Lewis, Supreme Court of LA

(TBC) Judge Mimi Furnadjieva, Supreme Court of Cassation of Bulgaria

(Q&A)

October 23 (Sunday)

Topic: Challenges to Rule-of-Law Based International Order

4:00 - 5:30 Keynote speakers:

Judge Ekaterina Trendafilova, International Criminal Court (2006-2015),

President of the Kosovo Specialist Chambers

Prof. Gentian Zyberi, Norwegian Centre for Human Rights

(Q&A)

5:30 -5:40 Break

5:40 - 7:00 Panel Discussion: Enforcement and Implementation of International Law

Judge Yonko Grozev, European Court of Human Rights

Rumen Cholakov, Attorney at Law, London

Prof. Gentian Zyberi, Norwegian Centre for Human Rights

[Q&A]

7:00 - 8:00 Workshop: UN Mock Trial Session

Evgeny Minchev, Attorney at Law