Bulgaria - Political Flags

Last modified: 2001-08-23 by ivan marinov
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• VMRO
• DPS
• BSP
• BEL
• NDSV
• SDS
• BKP

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• Bulgaria

VMRO

Inner Macedonian Revolutional Organization - Bulgarian political party, it was a member of the ruling Union of Democratic Forces coaltion between 1997-2000.

Coat of arms of VMRO. The inscription in the upper part of the coat of arms means: "Union and strength".

DPS

Main party of Bulgarian Turks. De iure this is not a Turkish ethnic party. Fourth biggest party in Bulgaria.

BSP

Bulgarian Socialist Party (former name: Bulgarian Communist Party). Third biggest party in Bulgaria.

BEL

Bulgarian Euro Left. Formerly a fraction in the Bulgarian Socialist Party.

NDSV

by Jorge Candeias

Today, the newspaper PUBLICO brings a large article about Bulgaria with a photo that contains an unknown flag. It seems to be a bulgarian flag with two "parts" of white added below, making thus a square flag horizontally striped in white-green-red-white in proportions 1:1:1:2. Of course the colours are educated guesses, but I'm pretty sure they are correct. Anyone knows this flag?

Jorge Candeias, 02 May 2001

I see today the flag of the National Movement Simeon II. Curiousely the flag is red with a white symbol ( a sun) and letters. Unluckely I can't found the symbol in the web and I can't recontruct it accurately from memory

Jaume Ollé, 17 June 2001

There is a "little" problem with National Movement Simeon II. In fact, there are three such movements:
1. Former king Simeon II started a political party with this name two months ago, but this party was not registered by the jury. So all activity was discontinued. I remember a yellow-green flag with some symbol in the centre. But this flag was no longer used after the denial of registration.
2. After the denial of registration by the jury, Simeon II formed a coalition of twio existent little parties (Party of the Bulgarian Women and Movement for National Renewement Oborishte). The name of the coalition became Coalition National Movement Simeon II. This coalition was used only because of formal causes, and it will be discontinued very soon (Simeon II won 120 seats of 240 in the yesterday parlamentary elections!). This coalition was planned as a short life entity, and it had not any symbols, only the symbols required by the law. There was no flag.
3. Simeon II said yesterday on Bulgarian Televison (I am watching it regularly by satelite) that there will be a new party called National Movement Simeon II. I think it will have its own symbols.

Ivan Marinov, 18 June 2001

I dont know that party or coalition of the quoted is the red flag with white sun, but I have no doubt that is for some of them because: a) Simeon was present in the images probably some meeting in the present electoral campaign, then I assume that can be the flag of the coalition that participate in the current elections; b) Flag was hoisted by several people in normal size (one) and small size (probably paper) many; also symbol was see in firt plane in a red banner. c) also was ondulanting a white flag with simbol and probably red and green colors in the border: i see two times but always only one or two seconds, but must be a kind of royal standard or so.

Jaume Ollé, 18 June 2001

I've seen a TV footage showing Simeon II apparently celebrating the results, comming out and entering a car surrounded by masses wavying Bulgarian flag as well as some white flags with some emblem, as described here before. What cought my eye was an other flag - apparntly the Itaian pre-WWII mertchant ensign! That one with Savoi shield (but no crown) in the middle of green-white-red vertical tricolour.
Now, what would this flag do here? Was Simeon living in Italy after his exile, or maybe is his family connected with Savoi dinasty? Or , maybe was this flag used instead of Bulgarian flag - the colour are the same after all :-o
What's more interesting is that it seems that this flag was waved by someone from Simeon's group rather then other "casual" spectators, as it was seen already inside the house and all the way towards the car, always only few steps away from Simeon.

Zeljko Heimer, 19 June 2001

Simeon's mother was Giovanna, daugther of King Vittorio Emanuelo III of Italy. That could be the connection.

Elias Granqvist, 19 June 2001

After his exile he was living shortly in Egypt, and after that in Spain. Simeon is from the Savoy dinasty on maternal side.

Ivan Marinov, 20 June 2001

In concern with the June discussion on the flag of the NM Simeon the Second, I quote data from an official source. Under the Statute of NMSS, adopted on 8 April 2001, the National Movement has the following symbols (Art. 3): 1. a flag - equal yellow stripes and blue stripes; 2. an emblem - a shell. It is a pity that the Statute gives no information about the number of stripes and the colours of the shell.

Stoyan Antonov, 26 July 2001

SDS

Union of Democratic Forces. Second biggest party in Bulgaria.