National Assembly

Percentage of votes for MRF by electoral districts in the 2014 parliamentary elections

Map showing performance of MRF at the 2015 Bulgarian local elections.

Election	Votes	%	Seats	+/–	Government
1990	491,596	8.03 (#3)	23 / 400	23	Opposition
1991	418,168	7.6 (#3)	24 / 240	1	Coalition
1994	283,094	5.44 (#4)	15 / 240	9	Opposition
1997	323,429	7.6 (#3)	19 / 240	4	Opposition
2001	340,395	7.45 (#4)	21 / 240	2	Coalition
2005	467,400	12.81 (#3)	34 / 240	13	Coalition
2009	610,521	14.45 (#3)	38 / 240	4	Opposition
2013	400,466	11.31 (#3)	36 / 240	2	Coalition
2014	487,134	14.84 (#3)	38 / 240	2	Opposition
2017	315,976	8.99 (#4)	26 / 240	12	Opposition
Apr 2021	336,306	10.51 (#4)	30 / 240	4	Snap election
Jul 2021	292,514	10.71 (#5)	29 / 240	1	Snap election
Nov 2021	340,997	12.83 (#3)	34 / 240	5	Opposition
2022	344,625	13.76 (#3)	36 / 240	2	Snap election
2023	347,700	13.18 (#4)	36 / 240	0	Opposition

European Parliament

Election	Votes	%	Seats	+/–
2007	392,650	20.26 (#3)	4 / 18	4
2009	364,197	14.14 (#3)	3 / 18	1
2014	386,725	17.27 (#3)	4 / 17	1
2019	323,510	16.55 (#3)	3 / 17	1

Ethnic nature

On 8 October 1991, ninety-three members of Bulgaria's National Assembly — virtually all of them affiliated with the former Communist Party — asked the constitutional court to declare the DPS unconstitutional citing article 11.4 of the constitution which explicitly bans political parties "formed on ethnic, racial, and religious basis".^[9] On 21 April 1992, the court rejected the petition and affirmed the constitutionality of the DPS.^[10]

Even though the DPS has been legally a part of Bulgarian political life since then, some Bulgarian nationalists, particularly the far-right National Union Attack, continue to assert that it is anti-constitutional because it consists mainly of ethnic Turks. However, the statute of the DPS states that it "is an independent public and political organization, founded with the purpose of contributing to the unity of all Bulgarian citizens".^[11]

Additionally, supporters of DPS argue that banning parties on the basis of their ethnic composition constitutes an instance of ethnic discrimination and is in contravention to European law, the Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities in particular to which Bulgaria is a signatory. Furthermore, despite a similar constitutional ban, religious parties, such as the Bulgarian Christian Coalition have competed for parliamentary elections since 1997, and again in 2005, without any political upheaval.

More recently, Antonina Zheliazkova, head of the Centre for Interethnic Relations in Sofia, praised Ahmed Dogan by stating that "He has been working hard to open up the party to all citizens and has encouraged the DPS's supporters to be free to vote for non-ethnic parties".^[12]

Other Turkish political factions

At present there are three other tiny Turkish political factions that oppose the DPS's politics. These groups — which united to form the Balkan Democratic League — are the Movement of the Democratic Wing (DDK), led by Osman Oktay; the Party for Democracy and Justice (PDS), led by Nedim Gencev; and the Union of the Bulgarian Turks (SBT), led by Seyhan Türkkan.^[12]

However, these movements, as well as the National Movement for Rights and Freedoms, member of a Social-Democratic coalition ('Rose coalition') failed to secure any elected representative in the parliament. A party founded in 2011 by members who left the party and headed by Korman Ismailov—People's Party Freedom and Dignity, gained 1.5% of the vote in a coalition with National Movement Simeon II (NDSV) and therefore did not cross the 4% threshold to enter the parliament.^[13] This party was part of the Reformist Bloc and crossed the threshold and entered the parliament and the government in 2014, but only with one Deputy Minister that was removed. Another political fraction DOST founded by the former leader Mestan, had 17,000 registered members in 2016, which were obtained only for about one year.^[14] If so, the members of the Movement of Rights and Freedoms must have dropped in numbers.

Alleged manipulation of votes

The DPS was severely criticized by the Bulgarian ultra-nationalist party Attack as well as mainstream right-wing political parties such as Democrats for a Strong Bulgaria (DSB) and the Union of Democratic Forces (SDS) and even by DPS coalition partners of the National Movement Simeon II for allegedly manipulating the vote in the June 2005 elections in some places by bringing Bulgarian citizens of Turkish origin living in Turkey to vote in the elections. However, allegations of ethnic Turks coming to vote in Bulgaria at their permanent address and then returning to Turkey to vote with their passports, could not be "verified or confirmed" by international observers, whose assessment on the election was that it was free and fair.^[15]

Opposing privatization on ethnic grounds

In February 2005, the DPS opposed the privatisation of Bulgaria's largest tobacco company, Bulgartabac, which was backed by the government and the European Union, on the grounds that the industry traditionally employs ethnic Turks. The resulting crisis led to the resignation of vice premier Lydia Shouleva.^[12]

Delyan Peevski

Delyan Peevski is "a highly controversial figure in Bulgarian politics, business and media." He has served several terms of office in Bulgaria's Parliament as a DPS MP. He was placed under US sanctions for corruption through the Magnitsky Act mechanism in May 2021.^[16] He even served as head of the Bulgarian State Agency for National Security for one day, "but after mass protests broke out in the streets was forced to hand in his resignation."^[17] Peevski served as MP from the parliamentary group of the DPS in the 41st, 42nd, 43r, 44th, 47th and 48th National Assembly of Bulgaria and is currently serving as MP in the 49th National Assembly, where his legislative efforts are focused mainly on the judicial reform, Bulgaria's support for Ukraine and enforcement of the EU sanctions against Russia.^[18] On October 16, 2023, he became co-chairperson of the Parliamentary Group of DPS.^[19]