The origin and importance of the concept of political culture were introduced, emphasizing the role of political attitudes, trust, and values in the political system. Almond and Verba proposed the concept of civic culture in "Civic Culture", believing that it is the solid foundation of democratic systems. Bulgaria, as the strategic core of Central and Eastern Europe and the Balkans, has undergone political transformation. Despite making progress in the process of European integration, there are still unstable factors in its political system. The in-depth study of political and cultural factors behind the political crisis in Bulgaria is particularly important.

Frequent political turmoil in Bulgaria

Bulgaria experiences frequent political turmoil, frequent government changes, and a lack of continuity. Since its establishment in 2009, no government has been re elected, and as of June 2023, 22 governments have been formed. Four parliamentary elections will be held in 2021-2022, with severe political fragmentation. The number of political parties is huge, new parties are constantly emerging, and the power of mainstream political parties is weakening. In April 2023, Bulgaria held its fifth parliamentary election in two years, forming the first rotating government in history, but the extreme political polarization has not improved.

The Historical Evolution and Characteristics of Bulgarian Political Culture

Explored the historical evolution and characteristics of Bulgarian political culture. Starting from the civic culture theory of Almond and Verba, Bulgarian political culture has undergone a development from a village participant culture to a village subject culture, and then to a subject participant culture. During the period of national rejuvenation movement, Bulgaria, under the rule of the Ottoman Empire, began to form a village based political culture through cultural revival and awakening of national consciousness. During the period of the Principality, Bulgaria's political culture transformed into a village subject type with minority participation, with intense political struggles and an incomplete multi-party political system. During the period of the People's Republic of Bulgaria, the political culture further developed towards authoritarianism, and the political participation of the people was limited, forming a subject dependent political culture. This political culture has had a profound impact on the establishment and development of Bulgaria's democratic system.

3 Political and cultural factors behind the Bulgarian political crisis

Since Bulgaria's democratic transition, political and cultural factors have had a profound impact on its political crisis. Political apathy and distrust are widespread, with a significant decrease in voter turnout and low levels of trust among citizens in political institutions. Economic recession, corruption issues, and a culture of conformity are the main reasons for political apathy. Intergenerational differences are evident in political culture, with differences in political party support, participation methods, and motivation among voters of different age groups. The younger generation tends to support emerging political parties, while the older generation is loyal to traditional political parties. Leader worship and populism occupy an important position in Bulgarian political culture, with political parties attracting voters by creating a leadership image, while populist parties gain support through anti elite sentiment and anti globalization thinking. These factors working together have exacerbated the political division and crisis in Bulgaria.

4 Conclusion

Bulgaria has demonstrated a weak participation strong attachment political culture in its democratic transition, with historical legacies and authoritarian influences leading to a lack of political trust, personal hero worship, and ideological dilution. These factors have led to a decrease in voter turnout, fragmentation of parliamentary politics, and exacerbation of populism and party polarization. Figure 4 reveals the causal relationship between political culture and political chaos. Merely imitating European democratic systems cannot ensure democratic stability. The political crisis in Bulgaria indicates that its political transformation is immature, and political instability stems from weak institutions and backward political culture. Democratization requires political institutional guarantees and political cultural support. Bulgarian politicians need to consider how to cultivate democratic values and increase citizen political participation. Political culture has a significant impact on national political stability and social development, and studying the political culture of other countries has enlightening significance for the construction of socialist political culture with Chinese characteristics.