Over the past two decades, the economic growth in Bulgaria has been remarkable. While GDP per capita across the European Union increased by 188% over the last 20 years, Bulgaria experienced a staggering 600% growth. This surge underscores the transformative effect of EU membership on former socialist countries and highlights the significant progress made in Southeast Europe. The timeline of this transformation begins with one of the EU 's largest enlargements 21 years ago, when the Visegrad