Revival Възраждане
| |
|---|---|
 | |
| Leader | Kostadin Kostadinov |
| Founded | 2 August 2014 |
| Split from | IMRO–BNM |
| Headquarters | Hristo Botev blvd. 111, Sofia |
| Membership | 7,000 |
| Ideology | |
| Political position | Far-right |
| Colors |
Black Gold |
| Slogan | "Trust in Bulgaria!" (Bulgarian: "Повярвай в България!") |
| National Assembly |
37 / 240 |
| European Parliament |
0 / 17 |
| Municipalities |
1 / 265 |
| Website | |
| www | |
Revival (Bulgarian: Възраждане, romanized: Vazrazhdane) is a far-right and ultranationalist political party in Bulgaria, founded in August 2014. Its chairman is Kostadin Kostadinov. The party is defined by various analysts and media as anti-EU, anti-NATO, anti-American, pro-Russian, and being opposed to COVID-19 vaccinations and spreading anti-vaccine rhetoric.
History
In June 2014, Kostadin Kostadinov told media that there would be a Constituent Assembly on 2 August of the same year in the city of Pliska to create the party "Revival". The founders choose the day that is the celebrated anniversary of the Ilinden Uprising. Kostadinov founded the party after he became unhappy following Krasimir Karakachanov's reelection as leader of IMRO-BNM in 2012.
The party has promoted conspiracy theories regarding COVID-19 and had strong reservations regarding COVID-19 vaccines.
2021–2023 crisis
The party has grown rapidly due to the 2021–2023 Bulgarian political crisis. They first entered the Bulgarian National Assembly after the 2021 general election, gaining 13 seats. A member of Revival's parliamentary group left them in June 2022. The party would more than double its presence in the assembly, gaining 14 more seats in the 2022 general election and gained another 10 seats in the 2023 general election bringing their total seats to 37. This comes as the country draws closer to its adoption of the Euro while the government is financially backing Ukraine in their defense against Russia. Only 30% of Bulgarians view Russia as a threat, and far more are worried about rising inflation and possible economic concerns with the adoption of the Euro. Despite the party's pro-Russian rhetoric, observer Vessela Tcherneva, from the European Council on Foreign Relations, says that “Putin has lost some popularity so the campaign is not pro-Russia but anti-west, but it’s the other side of the same coin”. Additionally, the party has called for a public referendum on withdrawal from NATO and "normalization" of relations with Russia. The party has also supported the expansion of the Russia gas company Lukoil's presence in the country and to "renegotiate the conditions with the EU" either for a special status, or possible withdrawal.
Additionally, the party launched a petition that proposes postponing the adoption of the Euro from 2024 to 2043. The petition collected over 604,000 signatures, significantly more than the 200,000 necessary to suggest a future referendum on the matter.
Leadership
- Kostadin Kostadinov – Chairman
- Velislav Hristov – Vice chairman
- Petar Petrov – Vice chairman
- Tsoncho Ganev – Vice chairman
- Nikolay Drenchev – Secretary
Electoral history
National Assembly
| Election | Leader | Votes | % | Seats | +/– | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 | Kostadin Kostadinov | 37,896 | 1.11 (#11) |
0 / 240
|
New | Extra-parliamentary |
| Apr 2021 | 78,395 | 2.41 (#9) |
0 / 240
|
 0
|
Extra-parliamentary | |
| Jul 2021 | 82,147 | 2.97 (#8) |
0 / 240
|
0
|
Extra-parliamentary | |
| Nov 2021 | 127,568 | 4.86 (#7) |
13 / 240
|
 13
|
Opposition | |
| 2022 | 254,952 | 9.83 (#4) |
27 / 240
|
14
|
Snap election | |
| 2023 | 358,174 | 13.58 (#3) |
37 / 240
|
10
|
TBA |
European Parliament
| Election | # of seats won | # of total votes | # of votes from abroad | % of popular vote | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 |
0 / 17
|
20,319 | 1,025 | 1.04% | 13th |
See also
External links
- (in Bulgarian) Official website