ABSTRACT
Unlike other Central and Eastern European countries which have been largely influenced by a specific legal tradition, Albania and Bulgaria have been receptive to different sources of external influence over time. The chapter examines how the national identity of Albania and Bulgaria evolved and was defined since the establishment of their statehood in 1912 and 1878, respectively, throughout three periods: prior to, during, and following the collapse of communism, and how it all relates to the concept of the rule of law.
