Velichie
Greatness Величие | ||
|---|---|---|
National Assembly 13 / 240 | ||
| European Parliament | 0 / 17 | |
| Vetrino Municipal Council[4] | 6 / 13 | |
| Website | ||
| velichie | ||
Velichie (Bulgarian: Величие, lit. 'Greatness')[5] is a Bulgarian political party led by former National Guard Service lieutenant colonel Nikolay Markov. The party's positions are strong in Vetrino Municipality.
History
Until 2007, Nikolay Markov served for 14 years in the National Guard Service (NSO), the service that guards Bulgaria's presidents, prime ministers, ministers and top politicians. Although Markov was known as "the colonel", he left the system with the rank of lieutenant colonel. He left the NSO in 2007 after a scandal with then-president Georgi Parvanov, whom he accused of abusing his power by collecting information that was inconvenient for politicians.[6] After that, Markov appeared in some media as an expert on national security and counterterrorism.[7][8]
The Velichie party was founded in the summer of 2023[9] around the figure of Markov.[10] The party appeared on the Bulgarian political scene during the 2023 Bulgarian local elections, when they gained 40.51% of the votes in the Vetrino Municipality.[11] Velichie is closely linked to the Vetrino Municipality: one of the major figures in the party is Ivelin Mikhailov, the head of a historical park located in the region and an organizer of patriotic events. Mikhailov was once close to Revival chairman Kostadin Kostadinov, but he distanced himself from the party in favor of Velichie in 2023. Velichie has its own paramilitary organization, called "Bulgarski Yunak" (lit. 'Bulgarian Hero') and registered as a sports club, led by Ivelin Mikhailov. The organization's military training includes "urban survival" and "building capture and retreat with covering fire."[12]
In April 2024, Velichie leader Nikolay Markov announced that the party would participate in snap parliamentary election and in the European Parliament election.[13] Viktoriya Vasileva, a former member of the National Assembly from Union of Democratic Forces and then from There is Such a People, also participates in the work of the Velichie party. She is the leader Sofia regional party list in the 2024 elections.[12]
According to calculations by Bulgarian sociological agencies, as well as a Gallup parallel calculation, the Velichie party passes the 4% electoral threshold for the parliamentary election and gains about 12 mandates in the National Assembly.[5] Earlier, Markov stated that he does not believe that Velichie will enter the National Assembly in the election on 9 June 2024.[7]
Ideology
According to Nikolay Markov, the main goals of the party are to promote Bulgarian investments in the country, accelerate the completion of the Belene Nuclear Power Plant and bring the fight against organized crime in the country to the European level. Markov also pointed out the prevention of Bulgaria's participation in the military conflict in Ukraine, suspending the legal possibilities of such military intervention.[14]
Bulgarian media call Velichie a Russophile and anti-Western party,[9][10] competing with Revival in this field.[7][15]
References
- ^ Председател: Албена Георгиева Пекова
- ^ Регистър на политическите партии
- ^ Nikolov, Krassen (11 June 2024). "New far-right pro-Russian party enters Bulgarian parliament, at odds with similar parties". Euractiv. Retrieved 12 June 2024.
- ^ Община Ветрино, област Варна
- ^ a b "The woman from the small party Greatness: wherever she goes, she leads some 60 thousand votes". Fakti.bg - Да извадим фактите наяве (in Bulgarian). Retrieved 2024-06-09.
- ^ news.bg (2007-07-03). "Първанов изненада бивш гард от НСО". News.bg (in Bulgarian). Retrieved 2024-06-09.
- ^ a b c "Новата партия на Николай Марков краде гласове от "Възраждане"". Narod.bg. 1 May 2024.
- ^ "Сутрешните новини от Пловдив, Пазарджик и Смолян на 24.04.2024 г." darik.bg (in Bulgarian). Retrieved 2024-06-09.
- ^ a b България, Булевард (2024-04-10). "Нова партия се устреми към русофилския вот, начело с Ивелин Михайлов и Николай Марков". boulevardbulgaria.bg (in Bulgarian). Retrieved 2024-06-09.
- ^ a b "ПП "Величие"- НОС "Активна демокрция" – Активна демокрация". uraa.eu. Retrieved 2024-06-09.
- ^ "Коя е партията "Величие" и откъде изгря новата "патриотична" звезда?". clubz.bg (in Bulgarian). Retrieved 2024-06-09.
- ^ a b news.bg (2024-06-09). "Кои са "Величие"?". News.bg (in Bulgarian). Retrieved 2024-06-09.
- ^ "Полк. Николай Марков: ПП "Величие" ще участва на изборите за НС и ЕП". darik.bg (in Bulgarian). Retrieved 2024-06-09.
- ^ "Николай Марков: "Величие" е единственият политически субект в страната със стратегически план за следващите 100 години (ВИДЕО)". Safe News. 16 May 2024.
- ^ Иванов, Александър (2024-04-27). ""Възраждане" срещу "Величие", войната започна". РТВ "Истина и Свобода" (in Bulgarian). Retrieved 2024-06-09.
