The Royal Society of South Africa and the Academy of Science of South Africa cordially invite you to a webinar on ‘Captured States: Bulgaria, South(ern) Africa, and the Limits of Formal Democracy’ presented by Dr Dimitar Keranov, MRSSAf, Political Scientist, Bulgarian Institute for International Politics (BIIP).
Date: Wednesday 17th June 2026
Time: 17h00
Abstract: Why do formal democratic institutions sometimes fail to produce genuine democratic resilience? This talk examines that question through a comparative lens, placing Bulgaria’s post-1989 trajectory alongside democratic developments in South(ern) Africa. Despite EU and NATO membership, Bulgaria has experienced persistent state capture, entrenched oligarchic networks, and the rise of Russian-aligned political forces — challenges that have deepened rather than receded over time. These patterns find striking parallels in Southern Africa: the gap between constitutional architecture and political reality, the fragility of anti-corruption reform, and the resilience of captured institutions. The two cases illuminate each other in ways that go well beyond geography.
About the Speaker: Dr Dimitar Keranov is a Bulgarian-German political scientist. He is an expert on Central and Eastern Europe and Africa, and member of the Managing Board of the Bulgarian Institute for International Politics (BIIP), an independent think tank based in Varna, Bulgaria. His research spans democratic resilience and foreign interference in Central and Eastern Europe, with a parallel focus on African democratization. He holds a PhD in Political Science from Varna Free University (2023) and an M.A. in Governance from the University in Hagen.
ALL WELCOME – PLEASE FORWARD TO COLLEAGUES AND FRIENDS
– a video of this talk will appear on our website about a week after the event.
Website: www.royalsocietysa.org.za
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