Caring for the Child, Caring for the Family: The Clash over the National Strategy for the Child (2019-2030) in Bulgaria

The article explores the different meanings behind the narratives of family, childcare, and child protection in the public discourses against the National Strategy for the Child (NSC) 2019-2030 in Bulgaria. These meanings are seen as reflecting the intertwining and cumulative effects of transnational and local influences in the anti-gender movement. Using frame analysis as an approach in social movement studies, the aim is to analyse the main ideas of the NSC opponents-conservative far-right non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and citizens who joined the discussion during the public debate on the Strategy in January 2019. We differentiate between the discourses of the NGOs and the critical citizens, paying attention to the way they use the narrative of return-return to traditional family forms and child-rearing models. The conservative NGOs declared themselves to be defenders of Bulgarian children and families against the liberal policies of the European Union (EU) and the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) lobbies. The citizens' discourse is directed against the child-centred philosophy of the Strategy, seen as a threat to both the children themselves and parents' rights, but rarely mentions LGBT and gendering as a danger. The discussion revealed the deep distrust of citizens and parents towards the state and its institutions, which was amplified and instrumentalized by the far-right NGOs who mobilized and organized a mass social movement against the Strategy.

Automated summary

This article examines the different meanings embedded in the public discourses against the National Strategy for the Child in Bulgaria. It explores how transnational and local influences shape the narratives of family, childcare, and child protection in the anti-gender movement. The analysis focuses on the viewpoints of conservative NGOs and citizens who participated in the discussion, highlighting their differing discourses and the underlying themes of traditional family values and child-rearing models. It also reveals the deep distrust towards the state and its institutions, which was amplified by far-right NGOs to mobilize a mass social movement against the Strategy.