Multi-Method Data Laboratory | Centre for East European and International Studies (ZOiS) @zois.bsky.social Party systems, protest and social movements, trade unions in #EasternEurope. Triangulation of methods and data. https://ivaylodinev.comhttps://bsky.app/profile/ivodinev.bsky.socialhttps://bsky.app/profile/ivodinev.bsky.social/post/3mlat4cukm222My thoughts on the political situation in Slovenia ↓ [contains quote post or other embedded content]07 May 2026 08:43 +0000at://did:plc:rmsgxdj4fl4p7fd4qulntdjd/app.bsky.feed.post/3mlat4cukm222https://bsky.app/profile/ivodinev.bsky.social/post/3ml3sp5lumc2rWe’ll be discussing the results of the Bulgarian elections on May 7th in the company of great scholars. Join us by writing to jean-michel.de.waele@ulb.be [contains quote post or other embedded content]05 May 2026 08:52 +0000at://did:plc:rmsgxdj4fl4p7fd4qulntdjd/app.bsky.feed.post/3ml3sp5lumc2rhttps://bsky.app/profile/ivodinev.bsky.social/post/3mkkk6jehlc2hSlovenia just hit a political deadlock — and it could reshape the country’s direction. My recent analysis for ZOiS: https://www.zois-berlin.de/presse/expertinnenstimme/nach-der-parlamentswahl-in-slowenien-koalitionsgespraeche-scheitern28 Apr 2026 12:04 +0000at://did:plc:rmsgxdj4fl4p7fd4qulntdjd/app.bsky.feed.post/3mkkk6jehlc2hhttps://bsky.app/profile/ivodinev.bsky.social/post/3mjz4ct47a22mRecent elections in Bulgaria make this debate especially timely. Join us! [contains quote post or other embedded content]21 Apr 2026 13:41 +0000at://did:plc:rmsgxdj4fl4p7fd4qulntdjd/app.bsky.feed.post/3mjz4ct47a22mhttps://bsky.app/profile/ivodinev.bsky.social/post/3mjwa7oo2is2aElections in #Bulgaria confirms again the regime logic of "protest democracy". Since 1989, the system renewal with new political party and mass protests every 5-7 years. And yet, it is unclear what lies ahead.20 Apr 2026 10:13 +0000at://did:plc:rmsgxdj4fl4p7fd4qulntdjd/app.bsky.feed.post/3mjwa7oo2is2ahttps://bsky.app/profile/ivodinev.bsky.social/post/3mjw5h7miec2iJoin us to discuss what is going on in Bulgaria and Serbia. [contains quote post or other embedded content]20 Apr 2026 09:23 +0000at://did:plc:rmsgxdj4fl4p7fd4qulntdjd/app.bsky.feed.post/3mjw5h7miec2ihttps://bsky.app/profile/ivodinev.bsky.social/post/3mivkiis3uk2eLet’s discuss two massive protest waves reshaping political dynamics in Serbia and Bulgaria and what they reveal about contemporary movements worldwide. [contains quote post or other embedded content]07 Apr 2026 10:19 +0000at://did:plc:rmsgxdj4fl4p7fd4qulntdjd/app.bsky.feed.post/3mivkiis3uk2ehttps://bsky.app/profile/ivodinev.bsky.social/post/3mfmdu5cyzc23“Serbia’s youth are protesting with a strategy that the West has almost forgotten.” I said this in an interview with the German outlet Krautreporter. More and more, I am convinced that the rest of the world has much to learn from the civic energy and democratic resilience of Balkan societies. https://krautreporter.de/politik-und-macht/6250-serbiens-jugend-protestiert-mit-einer-strategie-die-der-westen-fast-vergessen-hat#lesen24 Feb 2026 14:10 +0000at://did:plc:rmsgxdj4fl4p7fd4qulntdjd/app.bsky.feed.post/3mfmdu5cyzc23https://bsky.app/profile/ivodinev.bsky.social/post/3mf2do5m4ak2uIt will be a pleasure to discuss the protest waves in the Balkan region at the American University in Bulgaria.17 Feb 2026 10:19 +0000at://did:plc:rmsgxdj4fl4p7fd4qulntdjd/app.bsky.feed.post/3mf2do5m4ak2uhttps://bsky.app/profile/ivodinev.bsky.social/post/3mexrqfbgk22bOur open-access article in @socmovstudies.bsky.social presents new dataset of workers’ protests in Europe since Covid-19. We find: • High levels of protest • Two alliance patterns • Diverging protest repertoires • Cross-national differences in public vs. private sector mobilization https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/14742837.2025.2562879#abstract16 Feb 2026 09:53 +0000at://did:plc:rmsgxdj4fl4p7fd4qulntdjd/app.bsky.feed.post/3mexrqfbgk22bhttps://bsky.app/profile/ivodinev.bsky.social/post/3me22oitqak2b2025 was a year of the protest in the Balkans. From Serbia to Greece, N Macedonia and Bulgaria, to name the most massive waves. A short summary in Greek. https://www.documentonews.gr/article/elpida-oi-mazikes-diamartyries/?fbclid=IwY2xjawPwMrpleHRuA2FlbQIxMABicmlkETFtUUNrNzdMajRJR1M4VTh2c3J0YwZhcHBfaWQQMjIyMDM5MTc4ODIwMDg5MgABHl95jvMy0ABTIf-F2bMEwDocEuc6_7M5yztYw2e603ccFux5oxK2y1YtA-h-_aem_eHmC2Y3Ny_qZrAu5UL2ENg04 Feb 2026 14:13 +0000at://did:plc:rmsgxdj4fl4p7fd4qulntdjd/app.bsky.feed.post/3me22oitqak2bhttps://bsky.app/profile/ivodinev.bsky.social/post/3mdzrn3wt7c23Thursday the 5th of February at 18:00 Registration: jean-michel.de.waele@ulb.be04 Feb 2026 11:31 +0000at://did:plc:rmsgxdj4fl4p7fd4qulntdjd/app.bsky.feed.post/3mdzrn3wt7c23https://bsky.app/profile/ivodinev.bsky.social/post/3mdihjomdk22dSome Gen Z protest waves fail to translate into political outcomes, while others succeed. Bulgaria’s ended with a government resignation in under 3 weeks. I discuss the key factors that made this protest a success story: from organisation to political opportunity. Spotlight for @zois.bsky.social https://www.zois-berlin.de/en/publications/zois-spotlight/why-bulgaria-became-a-success-story-for-the-gen-z-protests28 Jan 2026 14:15 +0000at://did:plc:rmsgxdj4fl4p7fd4qulntdjd/app.bsky.feed.post/3mdihjomdk22dhttps://bsky.app/profile/ivodinev.bsky.social/post/3mabgqdix6k2bWhat is going on in Bulgaria? An in-depth article by the independent Spanish media CTXT, including an interview with me, on the mass protests, the role of Gen Z, and the current political crisis. [contains quote post or other embedded content]18 Dec 2025 14:57 +0000at://did:plc:rmsgxdj4fl4p7fd4qulntdjd/app.bsky.feed.post/3mabgqdix6k2bhttps://bsky.app/profile/ivodinev.bsky.social/post/3m7zywc2al22eWhat just happened in Bulgaria and what other countries can learn from it: In just two weeks, mass protests forced the government to resign. Five key strategies👇15 Dec 2025 16:01 +0000at://did:plc:rmsgxdj4fl4p7fd4qulntdjd/app.bsky.feed.post/3m7zywc2al22ehttps://bsky.app/profile/ivodinev.bsky.social/post/3m7sh77scds22Mass protests in Bulgaria forced a government resignation, showing their effectiveness. Yet resignations often act as safety valves, letting ruling parties to regroup. Since 1989, this has locked the country in a recurring cycle of crisis and protest without breaking underlying power structures.12 Dec 2025 15:55 +0000at://did:plc:rmsgxdj4fl4p7fd4qulntdjd/app.bsky.feed.post/3m7sh77scds22https://bsky.app/profile/ivodinev.bsky.social/post/3m7nozm2xmk2yTonight, Sofia is seeing its largest demonstration since 1990. Rallies are unfolding across the country against state capture and corruption, demanding the government’s resignation and new elections.10 Dec 2025 18:32 +0000at://did:plc:rmsgxdj4fl4p7fd4qulntdjd/app.bsky.feed.post/3m7nozm2xmk2yhttps://bsky.app/profile/ivodinev.bsky.social/post/3m7n5j4cc4s2iTikTok has changed the game. 100,000–150,000 people from diverse backgrounds protested in Bulgaria mobilised mainly through TikTok by influencers, activists, and the opposition. The platform has become a central engine for rapid mass mobilisation. What does this mean for social movement studies?10 Dec 2025 13:18 +0000at://did:plc:rmsgxdj4fl4p7fd4qulntdjd/app.bsky.feed.post/3m7n5j4cc4s2ihttps://bsky.app/profile/ivodinev.bsky.social/post/3m6yydlvzfs2dThe law of Bulgarian democracy: the arrogance of the political class is restrained only by mass protest. At least 50,000 people marched yesterday in Sofia, with several thousand more in cities across the country.02 Dec 2025 12:52 +0000at://did:plc:rmsgxdj4fl4p7fd4qulntdjd/app.bsky.feed.post/3m6yydlvzfs2dhttps://bsky.app/profile/ivodinev.bsky.social/post/3lzl62qor3c25Democracy without protests? In parts of Europe, that’s unimaginable. Protest is not an isolated episode – it has shaped the political order for almost four decades through recurring cycles of crisis, mobilization, and renewal. I call it protest democracy. Read it here in @zois.bsky.social Spotlight👇 https://www.zois-berlin.de/en/publications/zois-spotlight/when-protest-becomes-a-mode-of-politics24 Sep 2025 09:52 +0000at://did:plc:rmsgxdj4fl4p7fd4qulntdjd/app.bsky.feed.post/3lzl62qor3c25https://bsky.app/profile/ivodinev.bsky.social/post/3lziqqaq23c2jOur new article is out in Social Movement Studies! We compare workers’ protests in Belgium, Bulgaria, Greece, Italy & Romania – from protest tactics to building alliances after Covid-19. It presents the first comparative data of workers’ protests since Covid-19, based on local sources. https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/14742837.2025.2562879?src=exp-la23 Sep 2025 10:48 +0000at://did:plc:rmsgxdj4fl4p7fd4qulntdjd/app.bsky.feed.post/3lziqqaq23c2jhttps://bsky.app/profile/ivodinev.bsky.social/post/3lyx5kiy4rc2xDiscuss Data in Bremen and Göttingen provides a ‘safe haven’ for research data on and from the countries in Eastern Europe thus establishing an interactive, community-led platform for like-minded researchers. Eduard Klein tells more about Discuss Data’s history and activities. https://konkoop.de/index.php/blog/the-story-of-discuss-data-a-unique-data-hub-for-scholars-working-on-eastern-europe-south-caucasus-and-central-asia/16 Sep 2025 10:49 +0000at://did:plc:rmsgxdj4fl4p7fd4qulntdjd/app.bsky.feed.post/3lyx5kiy4rc2xhttps://bsky.app/profile/ivodinev.bsky.social/post/3lydipyjwlk2qIn the last issue of the Swiss Forum RGOW – Religion & Society in East and West, I examine the repeating cycles of anti-corruption protests in Bulgaria (available in German). https://rgow.eu/zeitschrift/2025/9/wiederkehrende-wellen-proteste-gegen-den-gekaperten-staat-in-bulgarien08 Sep 2025 15:16 +0000at://did:plc:rmsgxdj4fl4p7fd4qulntdjd/app.bsky.feed.post/3lydipyjwlk2qhttps://bsky.app/profile/ivodinev.bsky.social/post/3lwqqg4gnck2qIn 2013, we rose against the oligarchic model in Bulgaria and demanded morality in politics — what dreamers we were! For months we occupied universities and filled the streets. The Balkans carry a long tradition of student movements. An interview for the Bulgarian National Radio. https://bnr.bg/hristobotev/post/102199687/ranobudni-studenti19 Aug 2025 10:48 +0000at://did:plc:rmsgxdj4fl4p7fd4qulntdjd/app.bsky.feed.post/3lwqqg4gnck2qhttps://bsky.app/profile/ivodinev.bsky.social/post/3lwqisq3bw22xThe protests against the way the judicial system is being weaponised are a part of a new protest cycle – but won’t be the peak of it,” predicted Ivaylo Dinev, a researcher at the Centre for East European and International Studies in Berlin. https://balkaninsight.com/2025/07/30/bulgarians-ride-new-protest-wave-but-question-potential-impact/19 Aug 2025 08:32 +0000at://did:plc:rmsgxdj4fl4p7fd4qulntdjd/app.bsky.feed.post/3lwqisq3bw22xhttps://bsky.app/profile/ivodinev.bsky.social/post/3lumso7ofk22rGave an interview to Bulgarian National Radio on the ongoing anti-corruption protests and the previous in 2013 and 2020. In summary: Bulgaria is stuck in a repeating cycle—political crisis, protests, new formations, new crisis, more protests. This has continued since the transition. https://bnr.bg/post/102188579/ivan-kokalov?fbclid=IwY2xjawLtmBVleHRuA2FlbQIxMQABHq90R52kSgZrdIuBxyHvE6nTParTYZy7P4Lykc5cwDdnvkcyzEmN2SzOQqZ-_aem_uQfvgI0ISvV8jdlylvb8dA23 Jul 2025 10:27 +0000at://did:plc:rmsgxdj4fl4p7fd4qulntdjd/app.bsky.feed.post/3lumso7ofk22rhttps://bsky.app/profile/ivodinev.bsky.social/post/3lt2ajbbmls2xNew publication in the DataLab Blog by Guenola Inizan! [contains quote post or other embedded content]03 Jul 2025 07:49 +0000at://did:plc:rmsgxdj4fl4p7fd4qulntdjd/app.bsky.feed.post/3lt2ajbbmls2x