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The Left (Bulgaria)

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Political coalition in Bulgaria

<tbody> </tbody>
The Left!
Левицата!
LeaderTatyana Doncheva
Valeri Zhablyanov [bg]
Kostadin Paskalev [bg]
Founded12 February 2023 (2023-02-12)
Split from
Merged intoBSP – United Left
Ideology
Political positionCentre-left to left-wing
Colours Red-violet
National Assembly
0 / 240
Website
www.levicata.com Edit this at Wikidata

The Left! (Bulgarian: Левицата!, romanized: Levitsata!) was a Bulgarian centre-left to left-wing political coalition established on 12 February 2023.[1][2] The members of the coalition are Alternative for Bulgarian Revival, Movement 21, Agrarian Union "Aleksandar Stamboliyski", Bulgarian Progressive Line, Georgi Kadiev [bg]'s Normal Statem and the Bulgarian Socialist Party (BSP) splinter faction led by Valeri Zhablyanov [bg].[1][3][4][5] Stand Up.BG, led by Maya Manolova, was part of the coalition until April 2024.[6]

Ideology

Manolova, the Stand Up.BG leader, believed that the Bulgarian political crisis could be overcome with a united and strong left.[7] According to Manolova, The Left positioned itself as an alternative to the right "pole of war" (represented by GERB–SDS and PP–DB) and opposes sending weapons to Ukraine, supporting the views of President Rumen Radev.[8] The new coalition prioritized incomes, prices, countering monopolies and corruption.[1] The union insists upon an increase in the minimum wage and that there should be no Bulgarians below the poverty line.[9][8][10]

According to members of the coalition, it was created to consolidate the voices of the left forces so that "they do not have to vote for other political formations just because, until recently, the ruling party of the left does not correspond to their ideas of how the left should look in Bulgaria."[11] The coalition criticized the BSP of Korneliya Ninova, saying that the BSP is "not able to raise the flag of the left" and stopped dealing with important issues, become only concerned with itself, and that the way out of this would be a change in the leadership of the party. On 11 February 2023, one day before coalition formation, the BSP congress was held, and Ninova was re-elected and part of her opponents were expelled from the party. According to The Left, Ninova refused to join coalition talks.[12]

History

On 12 February 2023, after a four-month dialogue, the creation of the Levitsata! coalition was announced.[3] The coalition announced that it would take part in the 2023 Bulgarian parliamentary election and was in the process of registering for the election.[12][13][14] On 13 February, the coalition submitted 6,000 signatures to register for the upcoming election.[11] On 3 March, the list opened its campaign for the 2023 snap election outside the coal power plant "Maritsa Istok 2" located in Stara Zagora oblast, with the list promising to bring up the issues of "ordinary Bulgarian citizens" in the next parliament.[15]

After the snap election, the party remained under the election threshold; however, party spokesman Valeri Zheblyanov promised that the coalition would remain active even if in an extra-parliamentary capacity.[16] The coalition agreed to contest the 2023 Bulgarian local elections, with the coalition leaders authorising alliances with all the "non-governing" parties on the local level, including the BSP, There is Such a People (ITN), and the far-right Revival.[17] The coalition, together with Revival, played an active role in the protests surrounding the removal of the Monument to the Soviet Army in the centre of Sofia, with the alliance's members setting up a tent protest in front of the monument to stop its removal.[18]

In April 2024, Manolova's party Stand Up.BG left the coalition.[6] Former BSP chairman Mikhail Mikov endorsed the party before the 2024 Bulgarian parliamentary election and announced his intention to participate in the election with the coalition.[19] The party failed to enter the 50th National Assembly and received 0.69% of the vote. In July 2024, the coalition announced its intention to participate in future election with the BSP.[20]

Coalition members

2023

<tbody> </tbody>
Name Ideology Political position Leader 2022 result
Votes (%) Seats
IS.BG Stand Up.BG Social liberalism
Social democracy
Direct democracy 		Centre-left to left-wing Maya Manolova 1.01%
0 / 240
ABV Alternative for Bulgarian Revival Social democracy
Social conservatism 		Centre-left Rumen Petkov BV (4.47%)
1 / 240
D21 Movement 21 Social democracy Centre-left Tatyana Doncheva DNP
ZS-AS Agrarian Union "Aleksandar Stamboliyski" Agrarianism Centre-left Spas Panchev [bg]
BPL Bulgarian Progressive Line Democratic socialism Left-wing Krasimir Yankov [bg]
ND Normal State Progressivism[21] Centre-left Georgi Kadiev [bg]
— Ex-BSP splinter faction Social democracy Centre-left Valeri Zhablyanov [bg] BSPzB (9.30%)
0 / 240

2024

<tbody> </tbody>
Name Ideology Political position Leader 2023 result
Votes (%) Seats
ABV Alternative for Bulgarian Revival Social democracy
Social conservatism 		Centre-left Rumen Petkov Levitsata! (2.23%)
0 / 240
D21 Movement 21 Social democracy Centre-left Tatyana Doncheva
ZS-AS Agrarian Union "Aleksandar Stamboliyski" Agrarianism Centre-left Spas Panchev [bg]
— Ex-BSP splinter faction Social democracy Centre-left Valeri Zhablyanov [bg]
Kostadin Paskalev [bg]
NDSO National Movement for the Salvation of the Fatherland Left-wing nationalism Left-wing Georgi Demerdzhiev DNP
ZP Green Party Green politics Centre-left Marina Dragomiretskaya
PDS Political Movement "Social Democrats" Social democracy Centre-left Yelena Noneva

Election results

National Assembly

<tbody> </tbody>
Election Votes % Seats +/– Government
2023 56,481 2.23 (8th)
0 / 240
New Extra-parliamentary
Jun 2024 15,175 0.69 (13th)
0 / 240
Steady Extra-parliamentary

European Parliament

<tbody> </tbody>
Election List leader Votes % Seats +/– EP Group
2024 Valeri Zhablyanov 10,230 0.51 (14th)
0 / 17
New –

References

  1. ^ a b c "The Left Coalition Presents Itself, Will Run in April 2 Elections". www.bta.bg. Retrieved 13 February 2023.
  2. ^ "Коалиция "ЛЕВИЦАТА!" постави официално началото си днес". Коалиция "ЛЕВИЦАТА!" постави официално началото си днес. Retrieved 13 February 2023.
  3. ^ a b Евроком, Телевизия (12 February 2023). "ОФИЦИАЛНО: Учредиха новата коалиция Левицата". Телевизия Евроком (in Bulgarian). Retrieved 13 February 2023.
  4. ^ "Обявиха учредяването на нова коалиция "Левицата" - По света и у нас - БНТ Новини". bntnews.bg (in Bulgarian). Retrieved 13 February 2023.
  5. ^ "Бивши бесепари учредиха коалиция "ЛЕВИЦАТА!", ще участват в изборите (ВИДЕО)". Novinite.bg (in Bulgarian). Retrieved 13 February 2023.
  6. ^ a b OFFNews (18 April 2024). "Ваня Григорова и Мая Манолова заедно срещу Нинова на вота".
  7. ^ "Манолова: "Левицата" е истинска алтернатива за спасяване на България". Bgonair (in Bulgarian). Retrieved 13 February 2023.
  8. ^ a b ""Левицата" с Манолова, Дончева и Румен Петков отива на избори. Ще "отстоява мира" и ще се бори с корупцията". Свободна Европа (in Bulgarian). 12 February 2023. Retrieved 13 February 2023.
  9. ^ "Коалиция "ЛЕВИЦАТА!" ще участва в извънредните парламентарни избори". bnr.bg (in Bulgarian). Retrieved 13 February 2023.
  10. ^ "Коалиция "ЛЕВИЦАТА!" ще участва в извънредните парламентарни избори - Новини от Actualno". www.actualno.com (in Bulgarian). 12 February 2023. Retrieved 13 February 2023.
  11. ^ a b "И коалиция "Левицата" се регистрира за изборите - По света и у нас - БНТ Новини". bntnews.bg (in Bulgarian). Retrieved 13 February 2023.
  12. ^ a b "Коалиция "Левицата" отива на избори без БСП (обзор) - Труд". trud.bg (in Bulgarian). Retrieved 13 February 2023.
  13. ^ "Коалиция "ЛЕВИЦАТА!" ще участва в извънредните парламентарни избори". nova.bg (in Bulgarian). Retrieved 13 February 2023.
  14. ^ "Коалиция "ЛЕВИЦАТА!" ще участва в извънредните парламентарни избори". Vesti.bg (in Bulgarian). Retrieved 13 February 2023.
  15. ^ "На старта на кампанията: Левицата! ще защити "Марицата!"". 24chasa.bg (in Bulgarian). Retrieved 5 February 2023.
  16. ^ ""Левицата!": Ще сме активни в политиката". 24chasa.bg (in Bulgarian). Retrieved 3 April 2023.
  17. ^ "За кметските избори: "Левицата" ще пробва коалиции по места с БСП, "Възраждане" и ИТН". 24chasa.bg (in Bulgarian). Retrieved 24 June 2023.
  18. ^ "Държавата мести Паметника на Съветската армия, Мая и бранители бдят на палатки (Обзор)". 24chasa.bg (in Bulgarian). Retrieved 21 August 2023.
  19. ^ "Михаил Миков влиза в листата на "Левицата" за изборите". Nova.bg (in Bulgarian). Retrieved 26 April 2024.
  20. ^ "БСП и "Левицата" се договориха за широко ляво обединение". News.bg (in Bulgarian). Retrieved 26 April 2024.
  21. ^ "Георги Кадиев учреди нова партия - Нормална държава - Труд". trud.bg (in Bulgarian). Retrieved 13 February 2023.
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