Democrats for a Strong Bulgaria

Democrats for a Strong Bulgaria (Bulgarian: Демократи за силна България, Demokrati za silna Bălgarija, ДСБ, DSB) is a political party in Bulgaria established by former Bulgarian Prime Minister Ivan Kostov (1997–2001). The motto of the party is "For a Strong Bulgaria in Unified Europe".

Democrats for a Strong Bulgaria

Bulgarian: Демократи за силна България
LeaderAtanas Atanasov
FoundedMay 30, 2004 (2004-05-30)
Headquarters18 Vitosha Blvd.
Sofia 1000
IdeologyNational conservatism[1]
Pro-Europeanism[2]
Anti-communism
Liberal conservatism
Political positionCentre-right
European affiliationEuropean People's Party
European Parliament groupEPP Group
Colours  Blue
National Assembly
0 / 240
European Parliament:
1 / 17
Website
dsb.bg

History

Kostov resigned as chairman of the United Democratic Forces after a painful election defeat in June 2001 to Simeon Saxe-Coburg-Gotha's newly established National Movement for Simeon II. The UDF had suffered heavily from allegations of corruption and increased unemployment after having carried out economic reforms during its four-year term.

With time 29 (out of 51) UDF MPs including Kostov grew increasingly dissatisfied with the new UDF leadership of chairwoman Nadezhda Mihailova, who was the foreign minister in Kostov's own government. Following another defeat for the UDF in the 2003 local elections and after Nadezhda Mihailova's refusal to bear the responsibility and resign, the group of 29 around Kostov announced their departure from the UDF and the formation of a new political force, the DSB.

DSB is a member of the European People's Party (EPP).

On 30 March 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic in the country, the Sofia City Council members from Democratic Bulgaria, a coalition Democrats for a Strong Bulgaria is part of, proposed a package of measures in defense of local economy. Those included ten-fold tax cut for landlords for leasing an apartment, rent-free period for businesses renting municipal property for the duration of the national emergency, and reorganization of Sofia public transport in view of the reduced passenger flow.[3][4]

Leaders
Former DSB logo

It was chaired by Ivan Kostov since its establishment in May 2004 until June 2013.[5] Since then it has been chaired by Radan Kanev.

Electoral results

25 June 2005 legislative elections

At the last legislative elections, 25 June 2005, DSB won 7.0% of the popular vote and 17 out of 240 seats, their support coming mainly from big cities (appr. 18% of voters in Sofia). See also 2005 Bulgarian parliamentary election

29 October 2005 partial local elections

The DSB candidate for Mayor of Sofia, former finance minister and head of the Central Bank of Bulgaria Svetoslav Gavriyski arrived third in the first round with 18% of the votes.

The last political surveys (March'2006) show the serious decreasing of the people support for the Kostov's party. Less than only 4% of the political support moves today this party to a position behind BSP (socialists), ATAKA (nationalists party), NDSV (Simeon II former king party) and UDF.

Statistics
Bulgarian Parliament
Election Seats won Votes % Rank Government
2005
17 / 240
 234,788 6.44% 6th Opposition
2009
15 / 240
 285,671 6.76% 5th[lower-alpha 1] Opposition
2013
0 / 240
 103,638 2.93% 7th Extra-parliamentary
2014
23 / 240
 291,806 8.89% 4th[lower-alpha 2] Coalition government
2017
0 / 240
 86,984 2.48% 6th[lower-alpha 3] Extra-parliamentary
Presidential elections
Election year Candidate First round Second round
Votes % Rank Votes % Rank
2016 Traycho Traykov 224,734 5.87% 6th[lower-alpha 2] - - -
European Parliament
Election Seats won Votes % Rank
2007
0 / 18
 84,350 4.35% 7th
2009
2 / 18
 204,817 7.95% 6th[lower-alpha 1]
2014
1 / 17
 144,532 6.45% 5th[lower-alpha 2]
2019
1 / 17
 118,484 6.06% 5th[lower-alpha 4]
  1. As part of the Blue Coalition.
  2. As part of the Reformist Bloc.
  3. As part of New Republic, a coalition between Bulgarian democratic community, Union for Plovdiv and Democrats for a Strong Bulgaria.
  4. As part of Democratic Bulgaria, a coalition between Yes, Bulgaria!, The Greens and Democrats for a Strong Bulgaria.

Program
The fifth national meeting of the DSB in Sofia

The DSB define themselves as a moderately conservative, but also nationally oriented[1] party.

They regard themselves as successors of the ruling mandate of the United Democratic Forces (1997–2001) and promise to stand up for its achievements and build on them.

The party stands for a new structure, composition and organization of the constitutional powers in Bulgaria through the adoption of a new Constitution.

They propose a decrease in overall taxes, the creation of an investor-friendly tax and insurance environment and tax and insurance incentives to small and medium-sized enterprises and to companies that generate long-term employment. The DSB propose to reform the law enforcement institutions in order to cut off their connection with the criminal world and in order to abolish corruption. They also insist on making officials of the executive and the other branches of power fully accountable for their actions stripping them of their immunity.

They support the independence and public nature of the National Health Insurance Fund, the promotion of additional health insurance schemes through optional funds and competition between these funds.

The DSB stand for integration and coexistence of different ethnic communities on the basis of equality before the Law, regardless of religion, gender and origin and strongly oppose Ahmed Dogan, the leader of the Movement for Rights and Freedoms claiming that his "Bulgarian Ethnic Model" is one of separation and encapsulation of Bulgarian Turks, aimed at monopolizing their vote instead of integrating them in Bulgarian society. This opposition has often been wrongly referred to as anti-minority nationalism.

Kostov and the DSB are outspoken opponents of the Bulgarian Socialist Party whom they regard as the heir to the totalitarian Bulgarian Communist Party and define them as their main political enemy. They have also often criticized ex-Prime Minister Simeon Saxe-Coburg-Gotha for allying himself with the socialists and who is accused, very much like Kostov was, of corruption.

Kostov's government was the one to begin adhesion talks with the European Union back in 1999 and the DSB continue to support European orientation for the country.

Before the elections of June 2005 Democrats for a Strong Bulgaria issued the Treaty for a Strong Bulgaria which is a 12-point resume of their program.

See also

 Conservatism portal

References
  1. Bakke, Elisabeth (2010). "Party systems since 1989". Central and Southeast European Politics Since 1989. Cambridge University Press. p. 79. ISBN 9781139487504. Retrieved 17 November 2011.
  2. Routledge Handbook of European Elections edited by Donatella M. Viola, page 639
  3. "Предложихме мерки в помощ на софийската икономика". Demokratichna Bulgaria (in Bulgarian). Retrieved 4 April 2020.
  4. ""Демократична България" предлага десет пъти по-нисък данък за отдаване на апартамент под наем в София". dnevnik.bg (in Bulgarian). 30 March 2020. Retrieved 4 April 2020.
  5. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2013-07-30. Retrieved 2013-11-15.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.