Analysis by Zoltán Egeresi
This paper describes the political trajectory of the Movement for Rights and Freedom (MRF) in Bulgaria. It outlines the history of the Turkish minority in Bulgaria, as well as the social background enabling the emergence of the party. The paper also describes the political history of the party during the last thirty years and highlights its role in Bulgarian politics. It is argued that the MRF has built a solid electoral base by relying not only on the Turks living in Bulgaria but also on the Turks who live in Turkey but have a Bulgarian citizenship. Despite several attempts to break its political hegemony over the Turkish electorate, the party has managed to keep its primacy and resist any kind of counter-hegemonic attempts.
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