Bulgarian Socialist Party

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Bulgarian Socialist Party
Българска социалистическа партия
AbbreviationBSP
ChairpersonKorneliya Ninova
FounderAleksandar Lilov
Founded3 April 1990 (1990-04-03)
Preceded byBulgarian Communist Party
Headquarters20 Positano Street, Sofia
Youth wingBulgarian Socialist Youth
Membership (2020)Decrease 80,236
IdeologySocial democracy
Political positionCentre-left
National affiliationBSP for Bulgaria
European affiliationParty of European Socialists
International affiliation
European Parliament groupProgressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats
Colors  Red
Slogan"With Care for People"
(S grizha za khorata)
National Assembly
26 / 240
European Parliament
5 / 17
Municipalities
63 / 265
Website
bsp.bg

The Bulgarian Socialist Party (Bulgarian: Българска социалистическа партия, romanized: Balgarska sotsialisticheska partiya, BSP), also known as The Centenarian (Bulgarian: Столетницата, romanized: Stoletnitsata),[1] is a centre-left,[2] social democratic political party in Bulgaria.[3] The BSP is a member of the Socialist International, Party of European Socialists,[4] and Progressive Alliance.[5]

History[edit]

The Centenarian moniker comes from the fact that the BSP is recognized as the successor of the Bulgarian Workers' Social Democratic Party, which was founded on 2 August 1891 on Buzludzha peak by Dimitar Blagoev, designated in 1903 as the Bulgarian Social Democratic Workers' Party (Narrow Socialists), and later as the Bulgarian Communist Party.[6] After the political changes brought by the Revolutions of 1989, it abandoned Marxism–Leninism and refounded itself as the BSP in April 1990.[7]

The party formed a government after the 1990 Bulgarian Constitutional Assembly election but was forced to resign after a general strike that December. A non-partisan government led by Dimitar Iliev Popov took over until the 1991 Bulgarian parliamentary election later in October. In the aftermath, the party was confined to opposition. As part of the Democratic Left coalition, a forerunner of the BSP for Bulgaria, it helped form a new government in 1995, headed by BSP leader Zhan Videnov as the prime minister of Bulgaria. Large-scale demonstrations in the cities and a general strike prevented the formation of a new socialist government after its term ended at the end of 1996. The country had entered into a spiral of hyperinflation, the most serious economic and financial crisis in its recent history, after the shock therapy and privatization policies, also followed to various degrees by other post-Communist countries.[8]

In the 2001 Bulgarian presidential election, party chairman Georgi Parvanov was elected the president of Bulgaria on the second round, defeating on the second ballot incumbent candidate Petar Stoyanov from the Union of Democratic Forces (SDS). Parvanov resigned as party chairman and was succeeded by Sergey Stanishev. It was a break of the two-party system between the BSP and the SDS.[8]

After two full terms out of power (1997–2001), the BSP-led Coalition for Bulgaria won the 2005 Bulgarian parliamentary election with 31.0% of the vote but without a governing majority, and formed the Stanishev Government, headed by the prime minister and BSP chairman Stanishev, with the centrist and social-liberal parties National Movement Simeon II and the Movement for Rights and Freedoms (DPS), respectively.[8] In the 2006 Bulgarian presidential election, Parvanov was re-elected in a landslide, becoming the first Bulgarian president to do so in direct elections. In 2007, Bulgaria joined the European Union.[8] The governing BSP-led coalition lost millions of euros of financial aid in the wake of allegations of widespread political corruption. The cabinet was also unable to react to the encroaching global financial crisis of 2007–2008 and its term ended with a budget deficit after several successive surplus years.[9]

In the 2009 Bulgarian parliamentary election, the BSP was defeated by the new conservative party GERB, obtaining 37 out of 240 parliamentary seats (18%), and went into opposition. GERB assumed power through an anti-communist and anti-Turkish platform, calling the previous BSP-led government communist even though, as written in Jacobin by sociologist Jana Tsoneva, that government "had introduced some of the most radical neoliberal policies."[8] In the 2013 Bulgarian parliamentary election, the party took 26.6% of the votes, second behind GERB with 30.5%. Plamen Oresharski, the party's candidate for prime minister, and the Oresharski Government were elected with the parliament support of the BSP and the DPS. The appointment of the controversial media mogul Delyan Peevski as head of the state security agency DANS sparked large-scale protests on 14 June.[10] Protests against the Oresharski cabinet continued until the government resigned in July 2014.[8] In the 2017 Bulgarian parliamentary election, the BSP made big gains but not enough to govern, as GERB made smaller gains as well, and the party remained in opposition to the Third Borisov Government,[8] which included the far right United Patriots.[11]

The BSP supported the 2020–2021 Bulgarian protests and led the left-wing opposition for a failed non-confidence vote.[12] The protests ended when the prime minister Boyko Borisov resigned, but results after the April 2021 Bulgarian parliamentary election proved to be fragmented.[13] After failed attempts from the BSP to form a government in the aftermath of an inconclusive July 2021 Bulgarian parliamentary election,[14] the political crisis continued,[15] as no government without the participation of Borissov could be formed, despite an anti-GERB majority.[16] In addition, Korneliya Ninova, the party leader since 2016,[17] has faced internal struggle, as the party has not been in government since 2013; the BSP has hesitated, depending on public opinion, between backing and rejecting There Is Such a People, the populist party created ahead of the anti-government protests and with the most seats.[18] A third snap election[19] for November 2021,[20] this time also at the presidential level (2021 Bulgarian general election),[21] ensued to solve the crisis.[22]

Ideology[edit]

Founded as the legal successor to the Bulgarian Communist Party,[4] the BSP describes itself as a democratic socialist party, espousing socialist policies and values, while supporting a social market economy.[7] It has also been described as a left-wing populist and left-wing nationalist[23][8] social-democratic party.[7]

Like most Party of European Socialists (PES) member parties, the BSP has a pro-European stance, although it has taken some Eurosceptic positions[11] and called for an end to sanctions against Russia.[24] Some news outlets, such as Novinite,[25] The Wall Street Journal, and The Washington Post, have described it as Russophile.[8]

Unlike the majority of PES parties, the BSP has been described as more conservative on social issues,[7] and like European Union politics it is more divided, with some leaders, such as Korneliya Ninova, opposing same-sex marriage in Bulgaria.[26][27][nb 1] Many party leaders opposed the Istanbul Convention because they were against educating children about sexuality if it also meant same-sex relationships, and after a long debate decided to vote against it, despite internal division about it. Former BSP leader and then-PES head Sergey Stanishev strongly supported the Istanbul Convention.[29][nb 2]

Membership[edit]

The party is the largest in Bulgaria by number of members, having 105,000 members as of 2016, down from 130,000 in 2013,[32] 150,000 in 2012, 210,000 in 2009, 250,000 in 1996, and around 1 million members during the late period of the People's Republic of Bulgaria.[33][34] In 2020, it had 80,236 members.[35]

List of chairmen[edit]

No. Name
(birth–death) 		Portrait Term of office
1 Aleksandar Lilov
(1933–2013) 		Alexander lilov.jpg 3 April 1990 12 December 1991
2 Zhan Videnov
(born 1959) 		N/A 12 December 1991 21 December 1996
3 Georgi Parvanov
(born 1957) 		Georgi Parvanov 07.jpg 21 December 1996 5 December 2001
4 Sergey Stanishev
(born 1966) 		Sergey Stanishev 2009 elections diff crop.jpg 5 December 2001 27 July 2014
5 Mihail Mikov
(born 1960) 		MihailMikov2.jpg 27 July 2014 8 May 2016
6 Korneliya Ninova
(born 1969) 		KorneliyaNinova.jpg 8 May 2016 current (resigned)

Electoral history[edit]

National Assembly[edit]

National Assembly
Election Coalition Votes % Seats +/– Government
(Coalition totals) (Coalition totals)
1990 None 2,887,766 47.15 (1st)
211 / 400
 Majority
1991 Pre-Electoral Union 1,836,050 33.14 (2nd)
106 / 240
 Decrease 105 Opposition
1994 Democratic Left 2,262,943 43.50 (1st)
125 / 240
 Increase 19 Coalition
1997 Democratic Left 939,308 22.07 (2nd)
58 / 240
 Decrease 67 Opposition
2001 Coalition for Bulgaria 783,372 17.15 (3rd)
48 / 240
 Decrease 10 Opposition
2005 Coalition for Bulgaria 1,129,196 30.95 (1st)
82 / 240
 Increase 34 Coalition
2009 Coalition for Bulgaria 748,114 17.70 (2nd)
40 / 240
 Decrease 42 Opposition
2013 Coalition for Bulgaria 942,541 26.61 (2nd)
84 / 240
 Increase 44 Coalition
2014 BSP – Left Bulgaria 505,527 15.40 (2nd)
39 / 240
 Decrease 45 Opposition
2017 BSP for Bulgaria 955,490 27.20 (2nd)
80 / 240
 Increase 41 Opposition
Apr 2021 BSP for Bulgaria 480,146 15.01 (3rd)
43 / 240
 Decrease 37 Snap election
Jul 2021 BSP for Bulgaria 365,695 13.39 (3rd)
36 / 240
 Decrease 7 Snap election
Nov 2021 BSP for Bulgaria 267,816 10.07 (4th)
26 / 240
 Decrease 10 TBD

European Parliament[edit]

European Parliament
Election Votes % Seats +/–
2007 414,786 21.41 (2nd)
5 / 18
2009 476,618 18.50 (2nd)
4 / 18
 Decrease 1
2014 424,037 18.93 (2nd)
4 / 17
 Steady
2019 474,160 24.26 (2nd)
5 / 17
 Increase 1

Symbols and logos[edit]

  • Old party logo

Notes[edit]

  1. ^ Other party leaders, such as Georgi Kadiev, the mayor of Sofia party candidate in 2009 and 2011, took part to the 2011 LGBT pride.[28]
  2. ^ Like most countries in Central and Eastern Europe, post-Communist Bulgaria holds socially conservative attitudes when it comes to such matters as homosexuality;[30] however, through the lead of the BSP's predecessor party, it was one of the first European countries to legalize homosexuality in 1968. As of 2020, right-wing and far-right organizations remain the most anti-LGBT groups, and anti-LGBT rhetoric and discrimination increased during the 2020–2021 Bulgarian protests, of which the BSP took part alongside other anti-government forces, against the incumbent right-wing government. The strong opposition among most Bulgarian political forces to the Istanbul Convention was also an issue of mistranslation.[29][31]

References[edit]

  1. ^ Zhelev, Zlatko (1 September 2007). "Stoletnitsata izbra Brigo za Sofiya" Столетницата избра Бриго за София [Centenarians chose Sofia Brigo]. Dnes.bg (in Bulgarian). Retrieved 13 October 2021.
  2. ^ "Bulgarian Socialist Party registered for participation in the local elections". BNT. Bulgarian National Television. Retrieved 13 October 2021.
  3. ^ Nordsieck, Wolfram (July 2021). "Bulgaria". Parties and Elections in Europe. Retrieved 13 October 2021.
  4. ^ a b "Istoriya" История [History] (in Bulgarian). Bulgarian Socialist Party. Archived from the original on 11 October 2021. Retrieved 14 October 2021.
  5. ^ "Parties & Organisations". Progressive Alliance. Retrieved 5 November 2021.
  6. ^ "Istoriya" История [History] (in Bulgarian). Bulgarian Socialist Party. Archived from the original on 29 March 2010. Retrieved 29 March 2010.
  7. ^ a b c d Siaroff, Alan (2018). Comparative European Party Systems (E-book ed.). Routledge. ISBN 9781317498766. The BSP describes itself as a modern socialist party, and its policies do espouse the ideas of democratic socialism and the social market economy, but at the same time it has pandered to its traditional communist membership and has been somewhat socially conservative. Consequentely, it is better seen as having gone from being a communist party to being a national populist social democratic party.
  8. ^ a b c d e f g h i Tsoneva, Jana (30 March 2017). "Politics After the Political". Jacobin. Retrieved 1 April 2019.
  9. ^ "Bulgaria's Budget Deficit Tops BGN 386 M in January–July 2009". Novinite. Sofia News Agency. 1 September 2009. Retrieved 14 October 2021.
  10. ^ Tsolova, Tsvetelia (14 June 2013). "Bulgarians protests over media magnate as security chief". Reuters. Archived from the original on 18 June 2013. Retrieved 13 October 2021.
  11. ^ a b Barzachka, Nina (25 April 2017). "Bulgaria's government will include far-right nationalist parties for the first time". The Washington Post. Retrieved 13 October 2021.
  12. ^ "Bulgarian government faces no-confidence vote amid protests". AP Press. Associated Press. 15 July 2020. Retrieved 13 October 2021.
  13. ^ "Who will lead Bulgaria's next government". EUROPP. London School of Economics. 19 April 2021. Retrieved 16 April 2021.
  14. ^ Todorov, Svetoslav (27 August 2021). "Bulgarian Socialists Make Last-Chance Attempt to Form Govt". Balkan Insight. Retrieved 16 October 2021.
  15. ^ "Bulgaria slides into political crisis as new election looms". AP News. Associated Press. 12 August 2021. Retrieved 16 October 2021.
  16. ^ Nikolov, Krassen (30 August 2021). "Political crisis in Bulgaria to lead to third parliamentary elections this year". Euractiv. Retrieved 16 October 2021.
  17. ^ Gotev, Georgi (24 March 2017). "Bulgarian Socialists seek to end Borissov era". Euractiv. Retrieved 16 October 2021.
  18. ^ Petrov, Angel (20 August 2021). "Bulgaria is Struggling to Exit an Era of Political 'Kings'". Balkan Insight. Retrieved 16 October 2021.
  19. ^ "Bulgaria to hold third parliamentary election this year in November". Associated Press. 15 September 2021. Retrieved 16 October 2021 – via Euronews.
  20. ^ Barigazzi, Jacopo (11 September 2021). "Bulgaria to hold third parliamentary vote on November 14". Politico. Retrieved 16 October 2021.
  21. ^ "Bulgaria set for third election this year in November". Deutsche Welle. 11 September 2021. Retrieved 16 October 2021.
  22. ^ "Crisis-hit Bulgaria to hold new snap election on 14 November". Agence France-Presse. 11 September 2021. Retrieved 16 October 2021 – via The Guardian.
  23. ^ Stier, Frank (29 March 2017). "Triumph des Populismus – Bulgarien hat ein neues Parlament" [Triumph of populism – Bulgaria has a new parliament]. Heise online [de]. Retrieved 1 April 2019.
  24. ^ Tsolova, Tsvetelia (17 March 2017). "Socialists say Bulgaria pays high price for EU's Russia sanctions". Reuters. Retrieved 13 October 2021.
  25. ^ "Bulgaria: Caught Between Moscow and Brussels". Deutsche Welle. 27 April 2014. Retrieved 13 October 2021 – via Sofia News Agency's Novinite.
  26. ^ Braidwood, Ella (7 June 2018). "Leader of Bulgaria's opposition party turns down Pride invite because she's against same-sex marriage". PinkNews. Retrieved 13 October 2021.
  27. ^ "Arrests as homophobes try to disrupt Sofia Pride parade". The Sofia Globe. 10 June 2018. Retrieved 13 October 2021.
  28. ^ "Bulgaria's Sofia Pride Gay Parade Goes Smoothly, Only 'Family NGO' Protests". Novinite. Sofia News Agency. 18 June 2011. Retrieved 14 October 2021.
  29. ^ a b Gotev, Georgi (23 January 2018). "Istanbul Convention spells trouble for Bulgaria's ruling coalition". Euractiv. Retrieved 13 October 2021.
  30. ^ "Thousand participants marched at Sofia Pride 2014". ILGA Europe. Bulgarian Helsinki Committee. Archived from the original on 19 August 2014. Retrieved 23 October 2021.
  31. ^ Nikolova, Milana (14 September 2020). "Bulgaria once led the way on LGBT+ rights in emerging Europe. Not any more". Emerging Europe. Retrieved 13 October 2021.
  32. ^ Denov, Lubomir; Klisurova, Lilyana; Krasteva, Kristina (15 February 2016). "Samo 344 000 chlenove stoyat zad partiite v parlamenta" Само 344 000 членове стоят зад партиите в парламента [Only 344,000 members stand behind the parties in parliament]. 24 Chasa (in Bulgarian). Archived from the original on 13 March 2016. Retrieved 13 March 2016.
  33. ^ "Nad 500 000 bŭlgari chlenuvat v partii" Над 500 000 българи членуват в партии [More than 500,000 Bulgarians are party members]. Reporter (in Bulgarian). 30 April 2009. Retrieved 13 October 2021.
  34. ^ Andonova, Zdravka; Tsacheva, Lilia (12 November 2012). "350 000 bŭlgari v partiite" 350 000 българи в партиите [350,000 Bulgarians in the parties]. Trud (in Bulgarian). Archived from the original on 13 March 2016. Retrieved 13 March 2016.
  35. ^ "Votŭt v BSP: Ninova pecheli vtori mandat s 43 228 glasa, 7 914 sotsialisti podkrepyat Dobrev" Вотът в БСП: Нинова печели втори мандат с 43 228 гласа, 7 914 социалисти подкрепят Добрев [The vote in BSP: Ninova wins a second term with 43,228 votes, 7,914 socialists voted for Dobrev]. Dnevnik. 13 September 2020. Retrieved 25 September 2020.

Bibliography[edit]

Further reading[edit]

External links[edit]

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