The Place of Europe in Bulgarian Party Manifestos- An Analysis of the Official Story

The aim of this paper is to analyse the evolution of the European issue in Bulgarian election manifestos since 1990. Specifically, the paper looks at how the position of the major four parties in Bulgaria - BSP, MRF, NMSS and UDF - has changed in relation to Europe with the forthcoming accession of the country to the European Union. The general trend is to find an increased preoccupation with Europe across the political spectrum over time. The paper is written in the context of the wider debate on party manifestos and their usefulness as determinants of party positions in Bulgaria.