The Reformist Bloc ( bg, Реформаторски блок, Reformatorski blok) was a
centre-right
Centre-right politics lean to the Right-wing politics, right of the Left–right politics, political spectrum, but are closer to the Centrism, centre. From the 1780s to the 1880s, there was a shift in the Western world of social class structure a ...
electoral alliance
An electoral alliance (also known as a bipartisan electoral agreement, electoral pact, electoral agreement, electoral coalition or electoral bloc) is an association of political party, political parties or individuals that exists solely to stand ...
in
Bulgaria
Bulgaria (; bg, България, Bǎlgariya), officially the Republic of Bulgaria,, ) is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the eastern flank of the Balkans, and is bordered by Romania to the north, Serbia and North Macedon ...
.
History
The
coalition
A coalition is a group formed when two or more people or groups temporarily work together to achieve a common goal. The term is most frequently used to denote a formation of power in political or economical spaces.
Formation
According to ''A Gui ...
agreement to form the alliance was signed on 20 December 2013. The five parties that signed the agreement were:
Democrats for a Strong Bulgaria
Democrats for a Strong Bulgaria ( bg, Демократи за силна България, ДСБ, Demokrati za Silna Balgariya, DSB) is a political party in Bulgaria established by former Bulgarian Prime Minister Ivan Kostov (1997–2001).
His ...
,
Bulgaria for Citizens Movement
Bulgaria for Citizens Movement ( bg, Движение „България на гражданите“, Dvizhenie „Bulgariya na grazhdanite“, Movement "Bulgaria of the Citizens") is a political party in Bulgaria, founded by former European ...
,
Union of Democratic Forces,
People's Party Freedom and Dignity
People's, branded as ''People's Viennaline'' until May 2018, and legally ''Altenrhein Luftfahrt GmbH'', is an Austrian airline headquartered in Vienna. It operates scheduled and charter passenger flights mainly from its base at St. Gallen-Altenr ...
, and the
. At the time of signing the coalition the parties had one seat in the
European Parliament
The European Parliament (EP) is one of the legislative bodies of the European Union and one of its seven institutions. Together with the Council of the European Union (known as the Council and informally as the Council of Ministers), it adopts ...
but none in the
National Assembly
In politics, a national assembly is either a unicameral legislature, the lower house of a bicameral legislature, or both houses of a bicameral legislature together. In the English language it generally means "an assembly composed of the repre ...
.
In early August 2014 spokesperson
Radan Kanev
Radan Milenov Kanev ( bg, Радан Миленов Кънев) (born 30 September 1975) is a Bulgarian politician who was elected as a Member of the European Parliament from Bulgaria in the 2019 European Parliament election. He used to be one of ...
resigned because of what he said was a lack of unity within the alliance: "The image of a united multi-party coalition was replaced by an image of a traditional coalition with many and often conflicting interests."
He initially supported the government, led by Prime Minister Boyko Borisov. Politicians from the Reformist Bloc received ministerial posts as coalition partners.
In December 2015, DSB turned into opposition because of the discontent with the speed and depth of the judicial reform by the second government of
Boyko Borisov
Boyko Metodiev Borisov ( bg, Бойко Методиев Борисов, ; born 13 June 1959) is a Bulgarian politician who served as the prime minister of Bulgaria from 2009 to 2013, 2014 to 2017, and 2017 to 2021, making him Bulgaria's secon ...
. Minister Petar Moskov retained his post but was excluded from his DSB leadership. This event marked a new flaw in the Reformist Bloc. The other coalition partners remained in the government. The Parliamentary Group of the Reformist Bloc does not split up. At the end of 2016 DSB left the block. In February 2017, the People's Party "Freedom and Dignity" left to join Lutvi Mestan's
DOST.
Elections
The electoral alliance made its debut in the
2014 European Parliament election
The 2014 European Parliament election was held in the European Union, from 22 to 25 May 2014.
It was the 8th parliamentary election since the first direct elections in 1979, and the first in which the European political parties fielded candid ...
.
Meglena Kuneva
Meglena Shtilianova Kuneva ( bg, Меглена Щилиянова Кунева; born 22 June 1957) is a Bulgarian and EU politician.
Biography
Born in Sofia, Kuneva is descended from a Catholic family from the town of Rakovski. She graduat ...
, the leader of Bulgaria for Citizens Movement, was placed as number one on the party's list. However,
Svetoslav Malinov
Svetoslav Hristov Malinov ( bg, Светослав Христов Малинов) (born 19 January 1968 in Dupnitsa) is a Bulgarian politician and Member of the European Parliament (MEP). He is a member of Democrats for a Strong Bulgaria
Democ ...
from Democrats for Strong Bulgaria won the only place for the alliance in the European Parliament due to the preferential voting in his favour.
Statistics
See also
*
Blue Coalition, a previous centre-right electoral alliance in Bulgaria
References
External links
Official Blog of the Reformist Bloc
{{Bulgarian political parties
Conservative parties in Bulgaria
Conservative liberal parties
Liberal parties in Bulgaria
Defunct political party alliances in Bulgaria
2013 establishments in Bulgaria