HUMAN SECURITY CHALLENGES IN THE BALTIC SEA REGION AND LESSONS FOR THE REPUBLIC OF BULGARIA

Абстракт

The aggression of the Russian Federation against Ukraine in 2022 has fundamentally transformed the security paradigm, shifting the focus from a state-centric approach to human security. This paper analyzes this shift in the Baltic Sea region - NATO’s and the European Union’s critical eastern flank - by examining hybrid threats such as disinformation, energy coercion, instrumentalized migration, and infrastructure sabotage, as well as the resilience-oriented „Comprehensive Security” model adopted by states like Finland, Sweden, and Estonia. In contrast, the Bulgarian case highlights primarily internal vulnerabilities, including exposure to cognitive warfare, centralized critical infrastructure, and demographic decline in border regions. The study concludes that investment in human security - education, healthcare, energy independence, and civil protection—constitutes a strategic imperative and a core component of national defense and sovereignty in the 21st century.