View source for Union of Democratic Forces (Bulgaria)

{{Short description|Bulgarian political party}}
{{Distinguish|United Democratic Forces (Bulgaria)}}
{{Infobox political party
| name             = Union of Democratic Forces
| native_name      = Съюз на демократичните сили
| native_name_lang = bg
| logo             = Union of Democratic Forces (Bulgaria) logo.svg
| logo_size        = 120px
| caption          = 
| colorcode        = {{Political party data|color}}
| leader           = [[Rumen Hristov (politician)|Rumen Hristov]]
| founded          = {{start date|1989|12|07|df=yes}}
| headquarters     = 134 Rakovska Str., 1000 [[Sofia]]
| membership_year  = 2018
| membership       = around 10,000<ref name="24chasa">{{cite news|url=https://www.24chasa.bg/novini/article/6996938|title=БСП и ГЕРБ вече почти равни по брой членове|trans-title=BSP and GERB now almost even in membership|newspaper=24 Chasa|date=6 August 2018|access-date=25 September 2020}}</ref>
| ideology         = {{ubl|class=nowrap|
 |[[Christian democracy]]<ref name="Nordsieck">{{Cite web|first=Wolfram |last=Nordsieck|year=2013|title=Bulgaria |work=Parties and Elections in Europe|url=http://www.parties-and-elections.eu/bulgaria.html|archive-date=16 January 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140116104955/http://parties-and-elections.eu/bulgaria.html|url-status=dead}}</ref>
 |[[Conservatism]]<ref name="Nordsieck"/>
 |[[National conservatism]]<ref>{{Citation |first=Elisabeth |last=Bakke |title=Central and East European party systems since 1989 |work=Central and Southeast European Politics Since 1989 |publisher=Cambridge University Press |year=2010 |page=79 |isbn=9781139487504 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=oFXdiS25N78C&pg=PA79 |access-date=17 November 2011}}</ref>
 |[[Anti-communism]]<ref>{{Citation |first1=Seán |last1=Hanley |title=Getting the Right Right: Redefining the Centre-Right in Post-Communist Europe |work=Centre-Right Parties in Post-Communist East-Central Europe |publisher=Routledge |year=2006 |page=18}}</ref><ref>{{Citation |first=Momchil |last=Metodiev |title=Bulgaria |work=Transitional Justice in Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union: Reckoning with the communist past |publisher=Routledge |year=2009 |page=161}}</ref>
 |[[Pro-Europeanism]]<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=EJyo2IcMf50C&pg=PA56|title=The JCMS Annual Review of the European Union in 2008|first1=Nathaniel|last1=Copsey|first2=Tim|last2=Haughton|date=8 September 2009|publisher=John Wiley & Sons|isbn=9781405189149|via=Google Books}}</ref><ref>{{Citation |first=Richard D. |last=Anderson |title=Postcommunism and the Theory of Democracy |publisher=Princeton University Press |year=2001 |page=147}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=1CAvWTseDDkC&pg=PA147|title=Postcommunism and the Theory of Democracy|first1=Richard|last1=Anderson|first2=Richard D. Jr.|last2=Anderson|first3=M. Steven|last3=Fish|first4=Stephen E.|last4=Hanson|first5=Philip G.|last5=Roeder|date=2 December 2001|publisher=Princeton University Press|isbn=0691089175|via=Google Books}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=7stgCgAAQBAJ&pg=PA639|title=Routledge Handbook of European Elections|first=Donatella M.|last=Viola|date=14 August 2015|publisher=Routledge|isbn=9781317503637|via=Google Books}}</ref>}}
| position         = [[Centre-right politics|Centre-right]]<ref>{{Citation |first=Janusz |last=Bugajski |title=The Eastern Dimension of America's New European Allies |publisher=Strategic Studies Institute |year=2007 |page=147}}</ref><ref>{{Citation |first1=Aleks |last1=Szczerbiak |first2=Seán |last2=Hanley |title=Understanding the Politics of the Right in Contemporary East-Central Europe |work=Centre-Right Parties in Post-Communist East-Central Europe |publisher=Routledge |year=2006 |page=7}}</ref> to [[Right-wing politics|right-wing]]<ref>{{Cite web |title=Leadership of Right-wing Union of Democratic Forces Resigns after Election Loss |url=https://www.bta.bg/en/news//129779-Leadership-of-Right-wing-Union-of-Democratic-Forces-Resigns-after-Election-Loss |access-date=2025-01-01 |website=[[Bulgarian News Agency]] |language=en}}</ref>
| national         = [[GERB—SDS]]
| international    = [[Centrist Democrat International]]<br>[[International Democracy Union]]
| european         = [[European People's Party]]
| europarl         = [[European People's Party group|European People's Party]]
| colours          = {{color box|{{party color|Union of Democratic Forces (Bulgaria)}}|border=darkgray}} [[Blue]]
<!-- Values obtained from Wikidata; to edit, see https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q841253 -->
| seats1_title     = [[National Assembly of Bulgaria|National Assembly]]
| seats1           = {{Political party data|seat composition bar|ms-lower-house}}
| seats2_title     = [[European Parliament]]
| seats2           = {{Political party data|seat composition bar|EP}}
| seats3_title     = [[Municipalities of Bulgaria|Municipalities]]
| seats3           = {{Composition bar|7|265|hex={{party color|Union of Democratic Forces (Bulgaria)}}}}
| website          = {{Political party data|website}}
| country          = Bulgaria
}}
The '''Union of Democratic Forces''' ({{langx|bg|Съюз на демократичните сили|translit=Sayuz na demokratichnite sili}}, '''СДС/SDS''') is a [[list of political parties in Bulgaria|political party]] in [[Bulgaria]], founded in 1989 as a union of several political organizations in opposition to the communist government. The Union was transformed into a single unified party with the same name. The SDS is a member of the [[European People's Party]] (EPP). In the 1990s the party had the largest membership in the country, with one million members,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.24chasa.bg/Article/5300656 |title=Само 344 000 членове стоят зад партиите в парламента - 24chasa.bg |access-date=March 13, 2016 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160313203340/https://www.24chasa.bg/Article/5300656 |archive-date=March 13, 2016 }}</ref> but has since splintered into a number of small parties totaling no more than 40,000 members. The SDS proper had 12,000 members in 2016.<ref name="24chasa"/>

== History ==
{{unreferenced section|date=November 2012}}
Dissident groups formed under the faltering regime of [[Todor Zhivkov]] in the late 1980s were the basis for the Union. Once Zhivkov fell, a loose political confederation was envisioned where constituent groups could continue to work for their own cause, while the coordinating council would include three members from each organization. The Longtime dissident philosopher [[Zhelyu Zhelev]], who would later become Bulgaria's president, was elected chairman, and [[Petar Beron (politician)|Petar Beron]], a well-known [[Environmental science|environmental scientist]], was chosen as secretary.

The SDS was officially founded on 7 December 1989 as a union of eleven political organizations, such as [[Ekoglasnost]], [[Party of Bulgarian Social Democrats|Bulgarian Social Democratic Workers' Party (United)]] and [[Bulgarian Agrarian People's Union "Nikola Petkov"]]. The following year, six more parties were incorporated ([[Radical Democratic Party (Bulgaria)|Radical Democratic Party]], [[Green Party of Bulgaria]], [[Democratic Party (Bulgaria)|Democratic Party]], [[New Social Democratic Party (Bulgaria)|New Social Democratic Party]], [[United Democratic Centre (Bulgaria)|United Democratic Centre]], [[Democratic Front (Bulgaria)|Democratic Front]]).<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.omda.bg/bulg/news/party/sds.htm|title=Omda.bg - Съюз на демократичните сили /СДС/|website=OMDA}}</ref><ref>[https://en.wikisource.org/wiki/UDF_Coordinating_Council_1990 Coordinating Council of the Union of Democratic Forces.] ''Demokratsiya Newspaper'', 27 April 1990.</ref>

The SDS lost the 1990 elections to the [[Bulgarian Socialist Party]] but still participated in the joint cabinet of [[Dimitar Iliev Popov]]. On 15 May 1991 39 members left the SDS because of disagreements with the draft of the new constitution and founded the new organizations [[SDS-Center]] and [[SDS-Liberals]]. Later the remnants of the SDS formed their own cabinet with Prime Minister [[Filip Dimitrov]] in November 1991, though the cabinet lasted only a little over a year when the government failed a [[motion of confidence]] in September 1992. The socialists, together with the [[Movement for Rights and Freedoms]], formed a coalition government headed by Prof. [[Lyuben Berov]]. Following the resignation of Berov's cabinet in October 1994, the BSP went on to win the [[1994 Bulgarian parliamentary election|1994 elections]].

However, following discontent over economic problems, Prime Minister [[Zhan Videnov]] resigned at the end of 1996, clearing the way for [[1997 Bulgarian parliamentary election|new elections]], this time won by the SDS with a crushing 55% vote. Party leader [[Ivan Kostov]] went on to form the new government and successfully passed several economic reforms. He was eventually rewarded in December 1999 with an invitation to begin membership talks with the [[European Union]]. But public discontent over the social cost of the reforms, including increased unemployment, as well as allegations of corruption led to the SDS's defeat in the [[2001 Bulgarian parliamentary election|June 2001 elections]], which were won by the [[National Movement for Stability and Progress|National Movement for Simeon II]]. The [[United Democratic Forces (Bulgaria)|United Democratic Forces]] won 18.2% of the popular vote and 51 out of 240 seats.

The SDS was chaired until the May 20, 2007 European elections by [[Petar Stoyanov]], former president of the country. Meanwhile, Kostov, the former Prime Minister and SDS party leader went on to form his own party - [[Democrats for a Strong Bulgaria]]. At the [[2005 Bulgarian parliamentary election|2005]] parliamentary election, the United Democratic Forces won 8.4% of the popular vote and 20 out of 240 seats.

It was announced at the inaugural conference of the [[Movement for European Reform]] (MER, March 2007) that the SDS would become official partners alongside the [[Conservative Party (UK)|British Conservative Party]] and the [[Czech Republic|Czech]] [[Civic Democratic Party (Czech Republic)|Civic Democratic Party]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.conservatives.com/tile.do?def%3Dnews.story.page%26obj_id%3D135350%26speeches%3D1 |title=Conservative Party - News Story |access-date=March 7, 2007 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070625043626/http://www.conservatives.com/tile.do?def=news.story.page&obj_id=135350&speeches=1 |archive-date=June 25, 2007 }}</ref> In mid April 2007, the SDS backtracked on its decision, stating that it remains loyal to the EPP and that it will never leave the EPP section of the EPP-ED Group to join another Group.

In the [[2007 European Parliament election in Bulgaria|May 20, 2007 European elections]] the SDS failed to elect even a single MEP, resulting in the resignation of Stoyanov who led the list.

At the start of 2009 the SDS entered in an electoral alliance named the "[[Blue Coalition]]" with four other center-right parties: the [[Democrats for a Strong Bulgaria|DSB]], the [[United Agrarians]], the [[Bulgarian Social Democratic Party]] and the [[Radical Democratic Party (Bulgaria)|Radical Democratic Party]]. The alliance fielded candidates for the [[2009 European Parliament election in Bulgaria|June 2009 European election]] winning a seat. When the [[Lisbon Treaty]] came into force in December of that year, their representation doubled. Now{{when|date=January 2022}} both the SDS and the DSB had an MEP.

The Blue coalition placed fifth in the [[2009 Bulgarian parliamentary election|legislative election]] a month later with a combined 6.8% of the vote and 15 seats.

In the [[2013 Bulgarian parliamentary election|May 2013 elections]], the SDS ran alone and lost all of its seats in the Bulgarian National Assembly, but regained four [[2014 Bulgarian parliamentary election|next year]] as a part of the [[Reformist Bloc]] alliance. The same pattern repeated in [[2017 Bulgarian parliamentary election|2017]] and [[April 2021 Bulgarian parliamentary election|April of 2021]], with zero and then two seats respectively (running together with [[GERB]] in 2021). Two other MPs joined the SDS later on.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Nordsieck|first=Wolfram|title=Bulgaria - Parties and Elections in Europe|url=http://parties-and-elections.eu/bulgaria.html|access-date=2021-07-14|website=parties-and-elections.eu}}</ref>

== Coalitions ==
=== United Democratic Forces ===
For the 1997 parliamentary elections, an alliance named [[United Democratic Forces (Bulgaria)|United Democratic Forces]] was formed around SDS. The same name was later used for other elections and parliamentary groups.{{citation needed|date=November 2012}}

=== The Blue Coalition ===
In early 2009 an alliance was formed together with [[Democrats for a Strong Bulgaria]] for the [[2009 European Parliament election in Bulgaria|European Parliament elections]] and [[2009 Bulgarian parliamentary election|National Assembly elections]]. The coalition was named the [[Blue Coalition]] and included some other parties.

=== The Reformist Bloc ===
The coalition agreement to form the alliance of the [[Reformist Bloc]] was signed on 20 December 2013. The five parties that signed the agreement were the Union of Democratic Forces, [[Democrats for a Strong Bulgaria]], [[Bulgaria for Citizens Movement]], [[People's Party Freedom and Dignity]], and the [[Bulgarian Agrarian National Union]].<ref>{{cite web|title=Bulgarian Rightists Seal Reformist Bloc Coalition|url=http://www.novinite.com/articles/156583/Bulgarian+Rightists+Seal+Reformist+Bloc+Coalition|work=Novinite.com|publisher=Sofia News Agency|access-date=31 March 2014}}</ref>

=== GERB ===
Since 2019 the party is in a coalition with [[GERB]].

== List of chairmen ==

'''Chairmen of the Coordination Council'''
* [[Zhelyu Zhelev]] (1989–1990)
* [[Petar Beron (politician)|Petar Beron]] (1990)
* [[Filip Dimitrov]] (1990–1994)
* [[Ivan Kostov]] (1994–1997)

'''Chairmen and Chairwomen of the unified party'''
* [[Ivan Kostov]] (1997–2001)
* [[Ekaterina Mihailova]] (2001–2002)
* [[Nadezhda Neynsky|Nadezhda Mihailova]] (2002–2005)
* [[Petar Stoyanov]] (2005–2007)
* [[Plamen Yurukov]] (2007–2008)
* [[Martin Dimitrov]] (2008–2012)
* [[Emil Kabaivanov]] (2012–2013)
* [[Bozhidar Lukarski]] (2013–2018)
* [[Rumen Hristov (politician)|Rumen Hristov]] (2018–''present'')

== Election results ==
=== National Assembly ===
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:right"
|-
! Election
! Votes
! %
! Seats
! +/–
! Government
|-
! [[1990 Bulgarian Constitutional Assembly election|1990]]
| 2,217,798
| 36.21 (#2)
| {{Composition bar|144|400|hex={{party color|Union of Democratic Forces (Bulgaria)}}}}
| {{steady}}
| {{yes2|Caretaker}}
|-
! rowspan="2"|[[1991 Bulgarian parliamentary election|1991]]
| rowspan="2"|1,903,567
| rowspan="2"|34.4 (#1)
| rowspan="2"|{{Composition bar|110|240|hex={{party color|Union of Democratic Forces (Bulgaria)}}}}
| rowspan="2"|{{decrease}} 34
|{{yes2|Coalition}}
|-
| {{no2|Opposition}}
|-
! [[1994 Bulgarian parliamentary election|1994]]
| 1,260,374
| 24.23 (#2)
| {{Composition bar|69|240|hex={{party color|Union of Democratic Forces (Bulgaria)}}}}
| {{decrease}} 41
| {{no2|Opposition}}
|-
! [[1997 Bulgarian parliamentary election|1997]]{{efn|name=United Democratic Forces|Results of the alliance [[United Democratic Forces (Bulgaria)|United Democratic Forces]].}}
| 2,223,714
| 52.3 (#1)
| {{Composition bar|137|240|hex={{party color|Union of Democratic Forces (Bulgaria)}}}}
| {{increase}} 68
| {{yes2|Majority}}
|-
! [[2001 Bulgarian parliamentary election|2001]]{{efn|name=United Democratic Forces}}
| 830,338
| 18.18 (#2)
| {{Composition bar|51|240|hex={{party color|Union of Democratic Forces (Bulgaria)}}}}
| {{decrease}} 86
| {{no2|Opposition}}
|-
! [[2005 Bulgarian parliamentary election|2005]]{{efn|name=United Democratic Forces}}
| 280,323
| 7.68 (#5)
| {{Composition bar|20|240|hex={{party color|Union of Democratic Forces (Bulgaria)}}}}
| {{decrease}} 31
| {{no2|Opposition}}
|-
! [[2009 Bulgarian parliamentary election|2009]]{{efn|name=Blue Coalition|Results of the alliance [[Blue Coalition]].}}
| 285,671
| 6.76 (#5)
| {{Composition bar|15|240|hex={{party color|Union of Democratic Forces (Bulgaria)}}}}
| {{decrease}} 5
| {{ya|text=Support}}
|-
! [[2013 Bulgarian parliamentary election|2013]]
| 48,681
| 1.38 (#12)
| {{Composition bar|0|240|hex={{party color|Union of Democratic Forces (Bulgaria)}}}}
| {{decrease}} 15
| {{no|Extra-parliamentary}}
|-
! [[2014 Bulgarian parliamentary election|2014]]{{efn|name=Reformist Bloc|Results of the alliance [[Reformist Bloc]].}}
| 291,806
| 8.89 (#4)
| {{Composition bar|4|240|hex={{party color|Union of Democratic Forces (Bulgaria)}}}}
| {{increase}} 4
| {{yes2|Coalition}}
|-
! [[2017 Bulgarian parliamentary election|2017]]{{efn|name=Reformist Bloc}}
| 107,399
| 3.06 (#6)
| {{Composition bar|0|240|hex={{party color|Union of Democratic Forces (Bulgaria)}}}}
| {{decrease}} 4
| {{no|Extra-parliamentary}}
|-
! [[April 2021 Bulgarian parliamentary election|Apr 2021]]{{efn|name=GERB|Results with [[GERB]].}}
| 837,671
| 25.71 (#1)
| {{Composition bar|2|240|hex={{party color|Union of Democratic Forces (Bulgaria)}}}}
| {{increase}} 2
| {{partial2|Snap election}}
|-
! [[July 2021 Bulgarian parliamentary election|Jul 2021]]{{efn|name=GERB}}
| 642,165
| 23.21 (#2)
| {{Composition bar|3|240|hex={{party color|Union of Democratic Forces (Bulgaria)}}}}
| {{increase}} 1
| {{partial2|Snap election}}
|-
![[2021 Bulgarian general election|Nov 2021]]{{efn|name=GERB}}
|596,456
|22.44 (#2)
|{{Composition bar|2|240|hex={{party color|Union of Democratic Forces (Bulgaria)}}}}
| {{decrease}} 1
| {{no2|Opposition}}
|-
![[2022 Bulgarian parliamentary election|2022]]{{efn|name=GERB}}
|634,627
|25.34 (#1)
|{{Composition bar|3|240|hex={{party color|Union of Democratic Forces (Bulgaria)}}}}
| {{increase}} 1
| {{partial2|Snap election}}
|-
![[2023 Bulgarian parliamentary election|2023]]{{efn|name=GERB}}
|669,924
|25.39 (#1)
|{{Composition bar|2|240|hex={{party color|Union of Democratic Forces (Bulgaria)}}}}
| {{decrease}} 1
| {{yes2|Coalition}}
|-
![[June 2024 Bulgarian parliamentary election|Jun 2024]]{{efn|name=GERB}}
|530,658
|23.99 (#1)
|{{Composition bar|3|240|hex={{party color|Union of Democratic Forces (Bulgaria)}}}}
| {{increase}} 1
| {{partial2|Snap election}}
|-
![[October 2024 Bulgarian parliamentary election|Oct 2024]]{{efn|name=GERB}}
|642,973
|25.52 (#1)
|{{Composition bar|1|240|hex={{party color|Union of Democratic Forces (Bulgaria)}}}}
| {{decrease}} 2
| {{yes2|Coalition}}
|}

=== Presidential ===
{| class="wikitable" style="text" align="center"
|-
|-
!rowspan="2"|Election
!rowspan="2"|Candidate
!colspan="3"|First round
!colspan="3"|Second round
|-
!Votes
!%
!Rank
!Votes
!%
!Result
|-
! [[1992 Bulgarian presidential election|1992]]
| [[Zhelyu Zhelev]]
| 2,273,541
| 44.66
| 1st
| 2,738,420
| 52.85
| {{yes2|Won}}
|-
! [[1996 Bulgarian presidential election|1996]]
| [[Petar Stoyanov]]
| 1,889,825
| 44.07
| 1st
| 2,502,517
| 59.73
| {{yes2|Won}}
|-
! [[2001 Bulgarian presidential election|2001]]
| [[Petar Stoyanov]]
| 991,680
| 34.95
| 2nd
| 1,731,676
| 45.87
| {{no2|Lost}}
|-
! [[2006 Bulgarian presidential election|2006]]
| [[Nedelcho Beronov]]
| 271,078
| 9.75%
| 3rd
| -
| -
| {{no2|Lost}}
|-
! [[2011 Bulgarian presidential election|2011]]
| [[Rumen Hristov (politician)|Rumen Hristov]]
| 65,761
| 1.95%
| 6th{{efn|name=Blue Coalition}}
| -
| -
| {{no2|Lost}}
|-
! [[2016 Bulgarian presidential election|2016]]
| [[Traycho Traykov]]
| 224,734
| 5.87%
| 6th{{efn|name=Reformist Bloc}}
| -
| -
| {{no2|Lost}}
|-
! [[2021 Bulgarian general election|2021]]
| [[Anastas Gerdzhikov]]
| 610,862
| 22.8
| 2nd{{efn|name=GERB}}
| 733,791
| 31.8
| {{no2|Lost}}
|}

=== European Parliament ===
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! Election
! List leader
! Votes
! %
! Seats
! +/–
! EP Group
|-
! [[2007 European Parliament election in Bulgaria|2007]]
| [[Stefan Sofiyanski]]
| 84,350
| 4.35 (#7)
| {{Composition bar|0|18|hex={{party color|Union of Democratic Forces (Bulgaria)}}}}
| New
| –
|-
! [[2009 European Parliament election in Bulgaria|2009]]{{efn|name=Blue Coalition}}
| [[Nadezhda Mihaylova]]
| 204,817
| 7.95 (#6)
| {{Composition bar|1|18|hex={{party color|Union of Democratic Forces (Bulgaria)}}}}
| {{increase}} 1
| [[European People's Party Group|EPP]]
|-
! [[2014 European Parliament election in Bulgaria|2014]]{{efn|name=Reformist Bloc}}
| [[Meglena Kuneva]]
| 144,532
| 6.45 (#5)
| {{Composition bar|0|17|hex={{party color|Union of Democratic Forces (Bulgaria)}}}}
| {{decrease}} 1
| –
|-
! [[2019 European Parliament election in Bulgaria|2019]]{{efn|name=GERB}}
| [[Mariya Gabriel]]
| 607,194
| 30.13 (#1)
| {{Composition bar|1|17|hex={{party color|Union of Democratic Forces (Bulgaria)}}}}
| {{increase}} 1
| rowspan=2 |[[European People's Party Group|EPP]]
|-
! [[2024 European Parliament election in Bulgaria|2024]]{{efn|name=GERB}}
| [[Rosen Zhelyazkov]]
| 474,059
| 23.55 (#1)
| {{Composition bar|1|17|hex={{party color|Union of Democratic Forces (Bulgaria)}}}}
| {{steady}} 0
|}
{{Notelist}}

== See also ==
{{portal-inline|Conservatism}}

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
*[http://www.sds.bg/ Official website]
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20080917180009/http://www.osaarchivum.org/db/fa/205-4-20-1.htm Bulgarian Subject Files - Political Parties: Union of Democratic Forces], [[Blinken Open Society Archives]], Budapest
{{Bulgarian political parties}}
{{International Democracy Union}}
{{European People's Party}}
{{Fall of Communism}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Union Of Democratic Forces (Bulgaria)}}
[[Category:Union of Democratic Forces (Bulgaria)| ]]
[[Category:1989 establishments in Bulgaria]]
[[Category:Anti-communist parties]]