Effect of radical right discourse on centre-right and centre-left parties in Bulgaria (2017 – 2021)
Effect of radical right discourse on centre-right and centre-left parties in Bulgaria (2017 – 2021)

Summary/Abstract: The article focuses on the interaction between mainstream and radical right parties in Bulgaria between 2017 and 2021 within the GERB-United Patriots coalition government taking into account three data points (2010, 2014 and 2019) from the Chapel Hill Expert Survey, 1999 – 2019 wave. The period allows for fresh insights on radical right discursive strategies and policy impact in parliament, as well as processes of (de-)alignment of radical and mainstream party positions. The article summarizes the growth of political parties Ataka, NFSB, and VMRO to coalition partners and examines two discursive narrative frames and policy areas of impact concerning LGBTQI+ and minority rights issues, and Republic of North Macedonia’s accession negotiations to the EU. This feeds into an analytical framework examining the scope and level of radical right impact on centre-right and centre-left parties in Bulgaria, including in the dimension of discourse.

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