National Union Attack
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The National Union Attack (Bulgarian: Национален съюз Атака, Natsionalen Sǎyuz Ataka; also[citation needed] translated as the Attack Coalition) is a nationalist political party in Bulgaria. At the last legislative elections, 25 June 2005, it won 9.0% of the popular vote and 21 out of 240 seats.
National Union Attack was formed by the National Movement for the Salvation of the Fatherland (Natsionalno Dvizhenie za Spasenie na Otechestvoto), the Bulgarian National Patriotic Party (Bǎlgarska Natsionalna-Patriotichna Partiya) and the Union of Patriotic Forces and Militaries of the Reserve - Defense (Sǎyuz na Patriotichnite Sili i Voinite ot Zapassa - Zashtita). Led by TV host Volen Siderov, who is now widely considered a racist and anti-Semite[citation needed], the coalition was created just two months before the elections. Siderov first created a party with that name, but its registration was delayed by the court so it could not participate in the elections by itself.
The coalition's leaders have criticized Bulgaria's ethnic minorities for allegedly being too privileged, they have accused the entire Bulgarian political establishment of being totally corrupted, and are opposed to NATO, the Iraq War and closer ties with the USA. Although the coalition is not particularly against Bulgaria's European Union membership, it has strongly demanded a revision of some of the previously signed documents (like the document for shutting down the Kozloduy Nuclear Power Plant near the Danube), some of which are largely considered to be against the interests of Bulgaria[citation needed].
The sudden success of Attack has been attributed as the main cause of the poor performance (31%) of the Bulgarian Socialist Party, the successor to the old Communist Party. Leaders of the Union Attack included popular political figures such as Petar Beron, Ognyan Saparev, Rumen Vodenicharov and Stella Bankova. Members of Attack's group in parliament included Petar Beron, Stella Bankova as well as a group of generals and other military men; many of these have left the group for various reasons, mostly due to conflicts with leader Volen Siderov.[citation needed]
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[edit] Controversy
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Ever since the results of the elections have come out, Attack has been severely criticized by most media. It has been called a xenophobic, anti-European and even fascist movement. Its supporters prefer to define it as patriotic. Some scholars[citation needed] consider the term 'fascist' inaccurate as the party's theses do not include the characteristics of fascism as a whole. Regardless, its members tend towards inflammatory comments that often lead to them being sidelined by other parties and criticized both at home and abroad.
A recent scandal was caused by Attack's observer at the European Parliament Dimitar Stoyanov (who is also Volen Siderov's stepson). Stoyanov sent an email to all MEPs that appeared to belittle Roma women. The email said of Hungarian politician Lívia Járóka, "In my country there are tens of thousands of Gypsy girls way more pretty than this honorable one... you may even buy one, around 12-13 years, to be your loving wife."[1].The chief aim of this e-mail, however, was not the creation of a public relations nightmare. Its aim was to emphasise the fact that young girls of Roma origin can be literally bought like cattle, despite the fact that this is a heavy crime which clearly violates Human Rights Legislation.[citation needed] Another problematic incident occurred on the Trakia highway, where a car accident and a subsequent clash resulted in party leader Volen Siderov being accused of hooliganism, perjury and obstruction of justice.[2]
[edit] Ideology
The party's two program documents, the '20 Principles' and the 'Program Scheme' feature a number of nationalistic characteristics. They define Bulgaria as a one-nation state and assert the supremacy of the state and the 'Bulgarian nation' above ethnic and religious diversity, but at the same time want to have an official religion and participation of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church in legislative work and in all important government decisions, as well as teaching of that Church's doctrine in primary school. The '20 Principles' envisage formulating a crime of 'national betrayal' and criminal prosecution of the 'national traitors'. Attack has so far called most of the present-day politicians, human rights and minority rights activists 'national traitors'. The '20 Principles' also envisage sanctions for defamation of the 'Bulgarian national sacraments' and for 'slurs' against Bulgaria. It has been debated in Bulgaria whether Attack is a right-wing or left-wing party (in Bulgaria, anti-establishment and anti-Western slogans have been traditionally associated with the left). The party's supporters are mostly, but not exclusively, people who traditionally have voted for the Bulgarian Socialist Party, but see its recent behavior as not radical enough. Their demands for a re-nationalization of privatized industry places them at the far left of the political spectrum, in a country where political parties avoid explicitly taking stances on personal freedom and instead focus on the economy. Attack members themselves have said that the movement is 'neither left, nor right but Bulgarian'. All the other parliamentary parties have stated that they will by no means look for coalitions with Attack, since they see it as a xenophobic group and a threat to Bulgarian ethnic minorities.
[edit] Recent developments
The last results (March 2006) of the opinion surveys[citation needed] show a significant increase in support for Attack. It ranks second after the BSP (Bulgarian Socialist Party) and even polls ahead of the former ruling party NDSV (National Movement for Simeon II) and the Turkish ethnic party, the Movement for Rights and Freedoms. On March 3, 2006, party leader Siderov called for a meeting to be held in Sofia, and over 1,000 people from many cities of the country came to hear speeches by him and other members of the party. During this rally he declared "Bulgaria is not yet free. Bulgaria is still under Turkish rule". They protested vehemently against the ruling government in Bulgaria for forming an alliance with the Movement for Rights and Freedoms and allegedly ignoring ethnic Bulgarian interests. Earlier in 2006, Siderov organized a petition against the decision of the Bulgarian government to set up US military bases in Bulgaria. In October, he finished second in the first round of the 2006 presidential election, but lost in the second round after receiving roughly one quarter of the vote.
[edit] External links
- (Bulgarian) Official site
- (Bulgarian) The party's daily newspaper, Attack
