Attack Political Party (Политическа партия АТАКА, ATAKA)

ATAKA party was founded on the 17th of April 2005 emerging from a previous coalition with a same name arguably because of the delay of party’s registration. The party’s ideology can be described at best as heterogeneous since its stance is ultra nationalistic however it advocates strongly interventionist economic redistributive policies that border the ultra-left spectrum. Since its creation it has been led by the charismatic but provocative and hysterical ex-journalist Volen Siderov. The party’s public behavior can be described as provocative, arrogant and abrasive and its rhetoric is strongly anti-Roma, anti-Muslim and anti-Semitic. Since its formation ATAKA has represented the strong anti-elite sentiments in Bulgarian society and fueled its success by a combination of chauvinism and protest vote popular support. Despite its populist character and inconsistent, incoherent and often self-contradictory policies the party has managed to garnish 21 seats in the Bulgarian parliament in 2009 after two relatively successful electoral cycles on national, local and European level. Recently the party was rocked by nepotism and other intra-party scandals following its tacit support for the ruling centre-right GERB and its parliamentary group have declined to 11 seats. The general trend is showing a steady decline for its support due to the multiple splinters and fractions within the nationalist voter camp. 

ATAKA on the Internet:

Source:

- Political Capital

National Front for the Salvation of Bulgaria (Национален фронт за спасение на България)

Following a personal conflict with Volen Siderov, Valeri Simeonov, a wealthy media mogul, left ATAKA. Subsequently, on May 17, 2011, he established his rival far-right party, the National Front for the Salvation of Bulgaria (Национален фронт за спасение на България). The new party made major strides already at the first election; at the 2011 local election in Burgas the leader of the new party came in second, and in the 2013 general elections NFSB received 3.7%, just shy of the 4% parliamentary threshold. The party’s meteoric rise has been significantly boosted by Simeonov’s Skat Tv, which not only played a major role in promoting ATAKA (originally Volen Siderov’s party embarked on a political career from an ATAKA television show broadcast on Skat Tv), but also offers publicity for the party’s website; the website for the television station and the party share the same page. The party is active in the EP election campaign, focusing on Syrian refugees and migration.

National Front for the Salvation of Bulgaria on the Internet:

Source:

- Political Capital

European Parliament elections - May 25, 2014

Parliamentary elections - July 5, 2009

European Parliament elections - June 7, 2009

Parliamentary elections - June 25, 2005

Source: Central Election Commission