Bulgaria’s Nationalists Ally Themselves with Putin’s Party

SOFIA - The pro-Russian nationalist party Vazrazhdane (Revival) has signed an agreement for joint cooperation and equal partnership with the ruling party United Russia of Vladimir Putin. This was announced by Vazrazhdane in a press release about their delegation’s visit to the Russian capital Moscow at the invitation of Putin’s party.

“The agreement provides for the exchange of experience, ideas and political practices between the two parties, and is an important positive step towards the restoration of full-fledged Bulgarian-Russian relations,” the party stated. The agreement was signed by the deputy chairman of Vazrazhdane Tsoncho Ganev, who is also Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly, and Vladimir Yakushev - deputy chairman of the Upper House of the Russian State Duma.

Vazrazhdane has no problem with the fact that Russia declared Bulgaria an enemy country after the start of the war in Ukraine and continues to maintain relations with the ruling party in the aggressor country.

Vazrazhdane is the third political force in the Bulgarian parliament with 33 out of 240 deputies, after garnering support of just over 13% in the last parliamentary elections in October 2024. The party is supported among pro-Russian circles in Bulgarian society, competing with the Bulgarian Socialist Party (BSP) and a number of other smaller pro-Russian parties.

The party is supported by the far-right, who do not want Bulgaria to enter the eurozone, insist on neutrality regarding Russia’s war in Ukraine, the party’s supporters spread pro-Russian disinformation on social media and claim that Bulgaria must exit from NATO. Vazrazhdane unsuccessfully tried to provoke a referendum on Bulgaria’s adoption of the euro.

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Vazrazhdane managed to enter the Bulgarian parliament with its firm position against vaccines and restrictions during the Covid pandemic. In the European parliament Vazrazhdane is part of the sovereigntist group led by AfD, Europe of Sovereign Nations Group.

The delegation that has now visited Moscow participated in the forum “On the Significance of the Victory over Nazism. Lessons from the Creation of the UN”.

Party’s representatives visited Russia a year ago too.

The BSP, which is currently in the ruling coalition behind the cabinet, also openly demonstrates ties with Russia.

Read this report by Krassen Nikolov for Euractiv here.