The Left!
Левицата!
LeaderMaya Manolova
Tatyana Doncheva
Valeri Zhablyanov
Kostadin Paskalev
Founded12 February 2023 (2023-02-12)
Split from
Ideology
Political positionCentre-left to left-wing
Colours  Red-violet
National Assembly
0 / 240
Website
www.levicata.com

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

Ideology

According to the Stand Up.BG leader Maya Manolova, the political crisis can be overcome with a united and strong left.[6] According to Manolova, The Left positions 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 course of President Rumen Radev.[7]

The new coalition will prioritize incomes, prices, countering monopolies and corruption.[1] The union will insist on an increase in the minimum wage and that there are no Bulgarians below the poverty line.[8][7][9]

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."[10]

The coalition criticizes the Bulgarian Socialist Party of Korneliya Ninova, saying that the BSP is "not able to raise the flag of the left" and has stopped dealing with important issues, become only concerned with itself, and that the way out of this will be a change in the leadership of the party. One day before coalition formation, 11 February, the BSP congress was held, at which Korneliya Ninova was re-elected and part of her opponents were expelled from the party. According to The Left, Ninova refused to join coalition talks.[11]

History

On 12 February 2023, after a four-month dialogue, the creation of the Levitsata! coalition was announced.[3] The coalition has announced that it will take part in the 2023 snap parliamentary election and is now in the process of registering for the election.[11][12][13]

On 13 February, the coalition submitted 6,000 signatures to register for the upcoming election.[10]

On the 3d of March, the list opened its campaign for the 2023 elections 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. [14]

After the April 2023 elections, the party remained under the threshold; however, party spokesman Valeri Zheblyanov promised that the coalition would remain active even if in an extra-parliamentary capacity. [15]

The coalition has agreed to contest the October local elections, with the coalition leaders authorising alliances with all the "non-governing" parties on the local level (which includes the Bulgarian Socialist Party, There is Such a People, and the far-right Vazrazhdane).[16]

The coalition, together with Vazrazhdane , played an active role in the protests surrounding the removal of the "Monument to the Soviet Army" in the center of Sofia, with the alliance's members setting up a tent protest in front of the monument to stop its removal.[17]

Coalition members

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
Moderate 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
BPL Bulgarian Progressive Line Democratic socialism Left-wing Krasimir Yankov
ND Normal State Progressivism[18] Centre-left Georgi Kadiev
— Ex-BSP splinter faction Social democracy Centre-left Valeri Zhablyanov BSPzB (9.30%)
0 / 240

Electoral history

National Assembly

Election Votes  % Seats +/– Government
2023 56,481 2.23 (#8)
0 / 240
 New Extra-parliamentary

References

  1. 1 2 3 "The Left Coalition Presents Itself, Will Run in April 2 Elections". www.bta.bg. Retrieved 2023-02-13.
  2. ↑ "Коалиция "ЛЕВИЦАТА!" постави официално началото си днес". Коалиция "ЛЕВИЦАТА!" постави официално началото си днес. Retrieved 2023-02-13.
  3. 1 2 Евроком, Телевизия. "ОФИЦИАЛНО: Учредиха новата коалиция Левицата". Телевизия Евроком (in Bulgarian). Retrieved 2023-02-13.
  4. ↑ "Обявиха учредяването на нова коалиция "Левицата" - По света и у нас - БНТ Новини". bntnews.bg (in Bulgarian). Retrieved 2023-02-13.
  5. ↑ "Бивши бесепари учредиха коалиция "ЛЕВИЦАТА!", ще участват в изборите (ВИДЕО)". Novinite.bg (in Bulgarian). Retrieved 2023-02-13.
  6. ↑ "Манолова: "Левицата" е истинска алтернатива за спасяване на България". Bgonair (in Bulgarian). Retrieved 2023-02-13.
  7. 1 2 ""Левицата" с Манолова, Дончева и Румен Петков отива на избори. Ще "отстоява мира" и ще се бори с корупцията". Свободна Европа (in Bulgarian). Retrieved 2023-02-13.
  8. ↑ "Коалиция "ЛЕВИЦАТА!" ще участва в извънредните парламентарни избори". bnr.bg (in Bulgarian). Retrieved 2023-02-13.
  9. ↑ "Коалиция "ЛЕВИЦАТА!" ще участва в извънредните парламентарни избори - Новини от Actualno". www.actualno.com (in Bulgarian). Retrieved 2023-02-13.
  10. 1 2 "И коалиция "Левицата" се регистрира за изборите - По света и у нас - БНТ Новини". bntnews.bg (in Bulgarian). Retrieved 2023-02-13.
  11. 1 2 "Коалиция "Левицата" отива на избори без БСП (обзор) - Труд". trud.bg (in Bulgarian). Retrieved 2023-02-13.
  12. ↑ "Коалиция "ЛЕВИЦАТА!" ще участва в извънредните парламентарни избори". nova.bg (in Bulgarian). Retrieved 2023-02-13.
  13. ↑ "Коалиция "ЛЕВИЦАТА!" ще участва в извънредните парламентарни избори". Vesti.bg (in Bulgarian). Retrieved 2023-02-13.
  14. ↑ "На старта на кампанията: Левицата! ще защити "Марицата!"". 24chasa.bg (in Bulgarian). Retrieved 2023-02-05.
  15. ↑ ""Левицата!": Ще сме активни в политиката". 24chasa.bg (in Bulgarian). Retrieved 2023-04-03.
  16. ↑ "За кметските избори: "Левицата" ще пробва коалиции по места с БСП, "Възраждане" и ИТН". 24chasa.bg (in Bulgarian). Retrieved 2023-06-24.
  17. ↑ "Държавата мести Паметника на Съветската армия, Мая и бранители бдят на палатки (Обзор)". 24chasa.bg (in Bulgarian). Retrieved 2023-08-21.
  18. ↑ "Георги Кадиев учреди нова партия - Нормална държава - Труд". trud.bg (in Bulgarian). Retrieved 2023-02-13.
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