National Union Attack - Ideology

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 the 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. Anti-establishment and anti-Western slogans have been traditionally associated with the left in Bulgaria, and Attack is regarded generally as a far-right party, whether in media coverage, political platform, or allies in the European parliament. Attack members themselves have said that the movement is 'neither left, nor right but Bulgarian'.

Their policies include hard lines against immigration and an antagonism towards the 10% Muslim minorities in Bulgaria. In Bulgaria, all existing parliamentary parties have stated that they would never form a coalition with Attack, since they regard it as a xenophobic group, and a threat to Bulgarian ethnic minorities. Nevertheless the party managed, after two years of support for the minority cabinet of PM Boyko Borisov to influence the government to support some of its policies.

The party's stance is critical in their perception of an excess of privilege for Bulgaria's ethnic minorities; additionally, they have accused the entire Bulgarian political establishment of being corrupt, and are opposed to NATO, the Iraq War and closer ties with the USA. Although the party is ambivalent on Bulgaria's European Union membership, it has demanded a revision of some of the previous agreements (e.g. the resolution on shutting down the Kozloduy Nuclear Power Plant near the Danube).