Radical Democratic Party (Bulgaria)
급진민주당 (불가리아)
A Bulgarian liberal party founded in 1905 by dissidents of the Democratic Party grouped around the review Demokraticheski pregled (from 1902), among them Todor Vlaykov and Naycho Tsanov, and led from 1918 by Stoyan Kosturkov. Part of it joined the Democratic Alliance in 1923; renamed the Radical Party in 1926, it took part in the People's Bloc governments from 1931. Banned in 1934 and revived in 1944–1945 within the Bulgarian Fatherland Front, it dissolved itself in March 1949.
In depth
The Radical Democratic Party grew out of Democratic Party members grouped around the review Demokraticheski pregled, edited by Todor Vlaykov from 1902. They left the Democrats around 1903 and the party was formally founded in 1905. Close to the Democrats, it entered coalitions with them several times; under Stoyan Kosturkov it joined Aleksandar Malinov's post-war cabinets in 1918, and in 1922 it entered the Constitutional Bloc with the Democrats.
After the coup of 9 June 1923 part of the party joined the Democratic Alliance — the Radical Democrats' seats on its first executive bureau went to Petko Stoyanov and Nikola Naydenov — while the main wing formed a lasting opposition coalition with the Democrats that grew into the People's Bloc. It was renamed the Radical Party in 1926 and from 1931 took part in the People's Bloc governments.
In 1934 leaders dissatisfied with Kosturkov elected Georgi Genov as leader and the party split, shortly before the coup of 19 May banned all parties; Genov's group carried on semi-legally in the opposition "Five". After 9 September 1944 Genov was sentenced by the People's Court, but in 1945 the party was revived as the Radical Party (United) within the Fatherland Front, and on 6 March 1949 it dissolved itself into the Front. A party of the same name was re-founded on 14 November 1989 and joined the Union of Democratic Forces.