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The Bulgarian Green Party was established in December 1989. It was one of the first opposition organizations to be founded following the fall of the Communist regime.
The Green Party took part in the first democratic national elections in 1990 in coalition with the Union of the Democratic Forces (UDF). It won 17 seats in the Grand National Assembly (the Constitutional Assembly). The Greens were also widely represented at the municipal level, winning the elections for the mayor of Sofia. The elected mayor was A. Karakachanov, leader of the Green party.
After the UDF split in 1991, the Green Party did not manage to overcome the 4% threshold needed for Parliamentary representation in the elections of October 1991. The UDF split triggered a split in the Green Party as well, and part of the party remained in the coalition under another name (Conservative Ecological Party). Still, the Green Party kept its strong presence in local authorities in a number of big cities (e.g. In Sofia, the Greens got 8% of the seats in the Municipal Council).
In 1994, the Greens took part in the parliamentary elections within a new coalition (The Democratic Alternative for the Republic) and received 3.81% of the votes (only 0.19% off the threshold to enter Parliament!). In the municipal elections in October 1995, the Green Party won 37 seats in different towns and appointed 5 village mayors. In the 1997 early national elections, the Green Party took part in the newly established coalition, Alliance for National Salvation, alongside the Movement for Rights and Freedoms (the Turkish party), the Liberal Union "New Choice", the Bulgarian Agrarian National Union "Nikola Petkov" and the Party of the Democratic Centre. The party won two seats in Parliament. At present, the Party does not take part in coalitions.
2008 : The Forth ExtraordinaryCongress of the GreenParty and the SecondExtraordinary conventionof PP Green Bulgariatook place on 5 of July. Superior authorities ofboth parties decided thatthe proposed unificationof their formations wouldbe a reasonable movewhich would provide forthe enhancement of humanresource capacity andpossibilities for realizationof active "green" policyin the country. By almost absolute majority bothforums voted for theproposal the parties to unitein a single political entityunder the name: "GreenParty/ Bulgarian Greens".Political formation's leadersand governing bodies werediscussed, formed andvoted.
Current Political Situation
During the national elections in June 2005, the Coalition for Bulgaria (Bulgarian Socialist Party, Bulgarian Green Party and another 6 parties), The movement for the rights and freedoms (this party represents turkish minority in Bulgaria) and (National Movement of Simeon II) have created the new Government.
The winner coalition is Coalition for Bulgaria and including Bulgarian Green Party. The coalition won 82 places in the Parliament, but Bulgarian Green Party did not receive possibility to enter in the Parliament.
After the elections Bulgarian Green Party has received only one Deputy Minister of the justice in the new Government.
Regarding the parliamentary initiatives, the main aim is to update legislation, bringing it into compliance with European standards and joining the EU in 2007.
In spite of the relative stabilization, both in political and economic terms, the country is still facing serious problems. The major problem facing the Bulgarian economy is the staggering privatization which determines the speed of structural reform.
Political Goals
In this situation, the major political goals of the Green Party are the following:
• Stabilization of the independent political image of the party.
• Looking for partners with ideas close to those of the Green Party.
• Working out a wide front of environmental initiatives with other organizations close to the Green Party.
Information about the local elections in 2007, held in the Republic of Bulgaria
The Green party participated in the local elections held on the 28th of October 2007. Among all the 265 municipalities, the Green party had candidates in 102 of them – in 83 participated independently and in 19 in coalition. In these 83 municipalities, for independent participation 518 candidate-counsellors were nominated, 79 candidate-mayors for town-councils, 28 candidate-mayors for municipalities and 22 candidate-mayors for regions.
24 counsellors and 5 mayors for town-councils were elected on the first round of the elections. In the second round two candidate-mayors participated – from the municipalities of Balchic and Topolovgrad and 11 candidate-mayors for town-councils. Out of them mayors were elected for the following municipalities: Evtimia Karacholova – Topolovgrad municipality, Haskovo region independently and two mayors of town-councils.
In the elections for the independent tickets for counsellors, the Green party received 20 thousand votes, which represent 1% of all the voters.
In the 19 municipalities in which the GP participated in a coalition, for the tickets for counsellors were received 19 213 votes. One mayor of the municipality of Svoge was elected, 18 mayors of town-councils and 44 counsellors, 11 of which are members of the Green party.
With our support, as independent candidates were elected: two mayors of municipalities – Bratzigovo and Radnevo and three mayors of town-councils, 2 of them members of the Green Party.
21 counselors and 7 mayors for town –councils were elected independently. Also one mayor was elected for municipality.
In the 19 municipalities in which the GP participated in a coalition, for the tickets for counsellors were received 19 213 votes. One mayor of the municipality was elected, 18 mayors of town-councils and 44 counsellors, 11 of which are members of the Green party.
With our support, as independent candidates were elected: two mayors of and three mayors of town-councils, 2 of them members of the Green Party.
In the elections for the independent tickets for counsellors, the Green party received 20 thousand votes, which represent 1% of all the voters.
PP Green Bulgaria-Bulgarian Greens also participated independently in these local elections. 17 counselors and 10 mayors were elected. In the elections for the independent tickets for counsellors, the Green party received 40 thousand votes, which represent 1.47% of all the voters. PP Green Bulgaria-Bulgarian greens did not participate in coalition and did not support independent candidates.
Together as Bulgarian Green Party/Bulgarian Greens we have 38 counselors, 18 mayors and over 60 thousand votes.
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