Bulgarian National Union – New Democracy

BNU-ND leader Boyan Rasate

Bulgarian National Union – New Democracy (BNU-ND) is a National Socialist political party based in Sofia, Bulgaria. The party claims to be patriotic and to protect Bulgarian values. Its leader is Boyan Rasate.

The party opposes the celebration of what it considers non-Bulgarian holidays in the country, including 9 May, "Victory Day". It draws attention by stating protests. The Sofia Globe considers it a right-wing, nationalist fringe party, and commented that it has an "unblemished record of never winning any seats in elections".^[1]

Since 2003 it has organized a march to commemorate Bulgarian general Hristo Lukov, who did pro-Nazi and antisemitic work during the Second World War. In 2014 and 2015 the mayor of Sofia refused to grant a permit for the march,^[2] though the march in 2015 was held regardless.^[3] The Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs noted its existence and activities as evidence of the presence of neo-Nazism in Bulgaria.^[4]

Objectives of the party

The party wants a strong centralized state power and rejects the current multi-party parliamentary democracy, calling it "compromised". It wants to dissolve all political parties and all organizations that it claims undermine the foundations of the Bulgarian state and society. The National Assembly should be composed of professionals, elected on a regional basis and competent in their field representatives of different backgrounds and professions. The means of production and the national economy can be both private and public, but the strategic sectors of the economy and public life are to be owned by Bulgarian state.

If favors a conscript army for men and women, and considers the Bulgarian "homeland" to be larger than Bulgaria. Bulgarian minorities outside of the Republic of Bulgaria are an integral part of the Bulgarian nation and state should protect their interests by any means – such regions include Thrace, Macedonia and Dobruja.

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