Attack (political party)
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The National Union Attack (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. Attack is 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 Zapatsa Zashtita). Led by TV host Volen Siderov, who is widely considered racist and antisemitic, the party was created just two months before the elections. The party'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 party 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 Danube), some of which are largely considered to be against the interests of Bulgaria [citation needed]. Attack also insists on stronger ties with Russia. The sudden success of Attack has been attributed as the main cause of the poor performance of the Bulgarian Socialist Party, the successor to the old Communist Party. Members of Attack's group in parliament included popular political figures such as Petar Beron, Ognyan Saparev, Rumen Vodenicharov and Stella Bankova as well as a large 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.
Controversy
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 to all MEPs an email that appeared to belittle Roma women. The email said of Hungarian politician Livia Jaroka, "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]. 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, obstructions of justice([2]).
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). 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.
Attack has widely[citation needed] been compared to the NSP in Germany due to its leader's anti-semitism and the similar way in which the two parties made their way into the parliament. Party members, however, strongly oppose the comparison as they see themselves as 'carriers of a new teaching'. In several publications Siderov, the leader of Attack, suggested that the Jews have been plundering the world by financial speculation since ancient times. On numerous occasions he accused the entire Roma (gypsy) population in Bulgaria of being criminals and talked about 'gypsy terror against Bulgarians' tolerated by the state. Leaders and supporters of Attack denounced on numerous occasions Bulgaria's Turkish minority and campaigned for outlawing the Movement for Rights and Freedoms (MRF - DPS), the party, which represents it in the parliament, envoking the Bulgarian Constitution's prohibition of ethnicity-based parties. At the same time, several MRF (DPS) members are suspected[citation needed] of corruption related to the use of European funds and governmental financial support.
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 50,000 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 ranked second in the first round of the 2006 presidential election, but lost in the second one after receiving roughly one quarter of the vote.