"Without dismantling the influence networks from the Communist era, you could not expect the democratic quality to be very high." GMF's Dimitar Keranov spoke to the NYT on Bulgaria's struggle to break free from the legacy of its Communist-era intelligence apparatus. 🔗 https://nyti.ms/4tVvlWn

GMF's Dimitar Keranov in NYT on Bulgaria's new leader: “He called for dialogue with Putin’s Russia, opposed sending military aid to Ukraine, denounced the ten-year Bulgaria-Ukraine defense agreement, and reaffirmed that Crimea is Russian.” 🔗 https://nyti.ms/3OTyCWZhttps://nyti.ms/3OTyCWZ

“With a single-party majority and no coalition partners to constrain him, he has more room than any Bulgarian leader in nearly three decades,” Mr. Keranov said. 👇👇👇 www.nytimes.com/2026/04/23/w... @gmfus.bsky.social #Bulgaria 🇧🇬

🇧🇬 Bulgaria’s eighth parliamentary elections in five years of political gridlock finally produce a single-party government but leave in place the networks that captured the state, writes GMF’s Dimitar Keranov in his latest analysis. Read more: https://bit.ly/4ttQTcC

🇧🇬 "A Kremlin-friendly leader governing a Nato and EU member state on the Black Sea, days after Hungary voted Orbán out, is bad news for the EU and for Ukraine," GMF's Dimitar Keranov told the Guardian. Read the full piece on Rumen Radev's win in Bulgaria’s elections: https://bit.ly/4vHyPNp

"Ukraine should expect a cooling, not a reversal," Dimitar Keranov, an analyst at the German Marshall Fund's European Resilience program, told the Kyiv Independent. 👇👇👇 kyivindependent.com/cooling-not-... @gmfus.bsky.social @kyivindependent.com #Bulgaria 🇧🇬 #Ukraine 🇺🇦

"Bulgaria’s European partners should be wary. The concerns about Radev’s pro-Moscow orientation will be reinforced by Progressive Bulgaria’s high scores in the polling stations for voters abroad in Russia and Belarus." 👇👇👇 www.gmfus.org/news/new-fac... @gmfus.bsky.social #Bulgaria 🇧🇬

🗒️ Spoke to DW News today on 🇧🇬 Bulgaria's eighth election in five years — what it means for Brussels, Moscow, and Bulgarian democracy 👇👇👇 🎥 youtu.be/3EA6BvE0jyU @gmfus.bsky.social #Bulgaria

Keranov said: “Honestly, I highly doubt that these elections right now will produce any real change.” www.theguardian.com/world/2026/a... @theguardian.com @gmfus.bsky.social

I commented on @globalnews.ca, breaking down 🇭🇺 #Hungary’s election 👇👇👇 globalnews.ca/video/117989... @gmfus.bsky.social

“If Magyar were to win, he would likely seek to reset relations with the EU, unlock funding, and adopt a more co-operative stance on Ukraine,” said Dr Dimitar Keranov, visiting fellow at the German Marshall Fund." Read the full article here 👇 inews.co.uk/news/world/p... @gmfus.bsky.social

You can read my comments on 🇸🇮 👇👇👇 @gmfus.bsky.social #Slovenia

Dimitar Keranov: Bulgaria and Romania must expand cooperation in all areas Interview with the Bulgarian political scientist in Berlin about the new spirit in Bulgarian-Moldovan and regional international relations in Southeast Europe after the start of Russia's large-scale military invasion of…

O‌ perspectivă moldo-româno-bulgară asupra europenizării Republicii Moldova friendshipbridge.eu/ro/2026/01/2...

New report: Countering Hybrid Threats, Lessons from Eastern Europe with @rnierhaus.bsky.social @dgap.org @dimker.bsky.social @laurentiuplesca.bsky.social @iraklisirbiladze.bsky.social @malwinatalik.bsky.social @mariannaprits.bsky.social Marianna Prysiazhniuk dgap.org/en/research/...

📢 New analysis with @laurentiuplesca.bsky.social on #Moldova 🇲🇩 & #EU 🇪🇺 👇👇👇 www.gmfus.org/news/moldova... @gmfus.bsky.social

🇨🇳 New China Global Podcast episode is out! This is part 2 of 3-part series that examines the potential consequences for China if a military operation against Taiwan were to fail.

🇪🇺 Tensions over Greenland and US President Trump’s now-rescinded threats to impose additional tariffs on European goods have revived discussion in Brussels on the EU’s Anti‑Coercion Instrument (ACI) to bolster the bloc’s trade and economic security.

“Much of that resistance appears to come from fears that inflation will increase as merchants round prices up during the changeover. Those fears are not so much about the euro but about general economic worries and skepticism about officialdom”, GMF’s Dimitar Keranov told AP News.

As Bulgaria debates joining the euro, fears over inflation and distrust in institutions — amplified by disinformation — are shaping public resistance. Read the full article: apnews.com/article/bulg...

"Those fears are not so much about the euro but about general economic worries and skepticism about officialdom, said Dimitar Keranov, program coordinator for engaging Central Europe at the German Marshall Fund in Berlin." @gmfus.bsky.social #Bulgaria #EU #Euro Read what else I said👇

"Anti-euro disinformation spread by pro-Russian politicians and social media aim “to reduce support for the European Union, NATO and Ukraine,” said Dimitar Keranov, program coordinator for engaging Central Europe at the German Marshall Fund in Berlin." #Bulgaria @gmfus.bsky.social More here👇

GMF’s Dimitar Keranov told The NYT: “The protests may have started because of the budget, but actually it’s about where there is corruption in the government, which ultimately serves the public interest.” ➡️ Read the article: www.nytimes.com/2025/12/11/w...

Mass protests in Bulgaria have triggered the resignation of Prime Minister Rosen Zhelyazkov after less than a year in office.

🇪🇺 Fewer than 14% of EU businesses use AI. Brussels hopes to change that with its new Apply AI Strategy, a €1 billion plan to boost adoption across strategic sectors. ➡️ GMF’s Adrienne Goldstein and Alexandra Pugh unpack the strategy’s key themes: www.gmfus.org/news/eus-ado...

GMF is pleased to announce that Dr. Clara Volintiru has been appointed Romania's Secretary of State within the MFA.

Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine has pushed the Black Sea region to the forefront of Europe’s security concerns.

🇩🇪 “Merz’s bold moves on defense spending have confirmed Germany’s leadership role in Europe, but at a cost to his domestic popularity," write GMF’s Sudha David-Wilp and CFR's Liana Fix in their Foreign Affairs op-ed.

🎥 It was an honor to join Dr. Mareike Ohlberg (@mareikeohlberg.bsky.social) and Dr. Asya Metodieva for a @gmfus.bsky.social discussion on 🇨🇳 China’s growing presence in 🇧🇬 Bulgaria. Watch the full webinar here 👉 youtu.be/ELmX48YgS9M?... #China #Bulgaria

📣 𝗨𝗽𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗩𝗶𝗿𝘁𝘂𝗮𝗹 𝗘𝘃𝗲𝗻𝘁: China’s Quiet Strategy in Bulgaria: Economic Appeal, Political Constraints 🗓️ October 30, 2025 4:00 – 5:30 PM CET 🔗 𝗥𝗲𝗴𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝘁𝗼 𝗷𝗼𝗶𝗻: buff.ly/Cq4Z8dZ

Honored to speak at GMF’s event “China’s Quiet Strategy in Bulgaria". We’ll discuss how China's economic footprint intersects with Bulgaria’s political & strategic choices within the EU & transatlantic context. Join us: www.gmfus.org/event/chinas... @gmfus.bsky.social @engagingce.bsky.social

📣 𝗨𝗽𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗩𝗶𝗿𝘁𝘂𝗮𝗹 𝗘𝘃𝗲𝗻𝘁: Habits of Democracy: Civic Culture and Civic Education in the Western Balkans October 28, 2025 3:00 – 4:00 PM CET Join the virtual event to learn how democratic participation is taught, experienced, and practiced in the Western Balkans. 🔗 Register: buff.ly/ErSEaVq

If you’re interested in how the rise of a far-right party, institutional paralysis, and state capture are threatening Bulgaria’s democratic path, you can read my latest analysis for @authlibeu.bsky.social: www.authlib.eu/bulgaria-rev... @gmfus.bsky.social @engagingce.bsky.social

"PAS secured a national majority to keep EU-accession reforms moving, but Taraclia—home to 🇲🇩 Moldova’s Bulgarian minority—again voted heavily for the pro-Russia Patriotic Bloc." More in my commentary here: biip-varna.github.io/articles/tar...

"As an #EU and #NATO member, #Bulgaria 🇧🇬 must balance economic opportunities with #China 🇨🇳 against risks to national security, Western alliances, the rule of law, and democracy." Read more in my & A. Metodieva's analysis: www.gmfus.org/news/chinas-... @gmfus.bsky.social @engagingce.bsky.social

How do anti-NGO laws impact human rights & democracy in Central Europe? Check out my written testimony to the @tlhumanrights.bsky.social on the topic, now published by @gmfus.bsky.social @engagingce.bsky.social @authlibeu.bsky.social 👉 gmfus.org/news/anti-fo...

We had an extremely informative and in-depth election readout with Andrea Michalcová, @petraguasti.bsky.social & Vít Dostál about the domestic and EU & foreign policy implications of the 🇨🇿 elections. Key takeaway & video in THREAD @gmfus.bsky.social @authlibeu.bsky.social @engagingce.bsky.social

📢 Figyelem, magyarországi civil szervezetek és informális csoportok! Jelentkezzetek most a #FOREST programra, hogy fejlesszétek jogi, digitális, pénzügyi és mentális ellenállóképességeteket. Mentorálás, képzések és kapcsolatépítési lehetőségek várnak rátok! ℹ️Jelentkezési határidő: 2025. október 20.

📢Výzva pre všetky mimovládne organizácie a občianske iniciatívy na #Slovensku! Prihláste sa do programu #FOREST a posilnite svoju právnu, digitálnu, finančnú a psychickú odolnosť. Čakajú na vás mentoring, školenia a príležitosti na networking! ➡️Info: tinyurl.com/2d5txbx3

📢Calling all CSOs & civic groups in #Hungary & #Slovakia! ❗️Apply until Oct 20, 2025 for #FOREST to boost your legal, digital, financial & psychological resilience. Mentoring, trainings & networking opportunities await! ⬇️Info⬇️ @gmfus.bsky.social

🇲🇩 "Moldova is confronted with a growing web of internal and external threats as well as risks to electoral integrity." Ahead of this weekend's elections in Moldova, explore a risk assessment of electoral integrity there:

Time to re-up our recent @gmfus.bsky.social paper by @laurentiuplesca.bsky.social setting out three election and post-election scenarios in Moldova. The final score for Alternativa and Our Party will be determinant in two of them.

🇲🇩 The results of Moldova’s parliamentary elections demonstrate a decisive political shift and confirm the nation's democratic resilience. 🗳️ Read Will Kingston-Cox and GMF's Laurențiu Pleșca's analysis on the Moldovan elections here:

"From the first day of Russia’s full-scale invasion, it has been clear that the consequences of the war would not be limited to physical destruction. What Ukraine faced was a systemic breakdown of infrastructure...," writes GMF's Valeriia Ivanova. ➡️ buff.ly/RUkaNoY

The #DroneWall might be necessary to maintain societal resilience but is not a strategic answer to 🇷🇺's hybrid warfare. Instead of responding to tactical moves, Europe should address the Kremlin's strategy. Check out my latest policy brief 🖊️ for @gmfus.bsky.social 👉 www.gmfus.org/news/drone-w...

🇲🇩 🇷🇺 “The goal of the Russian interference is to amplify societal distrust, to diminish the confidence that the Moldovan public has not just in its government and president, but also in its European future,” GMF's Clara Volintiru told the Guardian

Today, national security executive Dr. Daniel Kliman joins GMF as senior vice president for global power shifts. He will oversee a new GMF pillar on adapting the transatlantic partnership to a shifting global landscape and serve as a member of the GMF executive team. Learn more: buff.ly/KG6czAd

📈 In the latest roundup of the competitiveness check, GMF experts highlight new tariffs announced and the top five transatlantic trade-related developments. ➡️ Read the full roundup here: www.gmfus.org/news/competi...

🇨🇿 "...should ANO lead the next government, there will most likely be more continuity than change in foreign policy, even if there is a different tone and a greater focus on NATO than on the EU." Ahead today and tomorrow's Czech elections, read an analysis by fellow Pavel Havlicek:

🇺🇦 "[Measures like the drone wall] although necessary, divert financial and military resources away from Ukraine, which remains the most efficient use of resources for containing and deterring Russia," writes @danielhegedus.bsky.social. www.gmfus.org/news/drone-w...