Bulgaria Names Communist Take-Over Top Event of 20th Century

The emblematic until recently date September 9, marking Bulgaria's anti-fascist uprising in 1944, has been named the most important event in the country for the past century.

The communist take-over garnered 24,29% of the votes in a poll, which aims to elect the most important events for Bulgaria over the past century in different fields of life. The on-line and text messaging campaign is organized by the Bulgarian National Television.

The rescue of 50,000 Bulgarian Jews, who were not deported to the Nazi death camps in 1943 thanks to mass civil protests, an active stance by 43 Bulgarian MPs, and Tsar Boris III's resistance to Hitler's demands for deportation, came in at spot number two in the poll. It collected 22,03% of the votes of the viewers.

Third ranked the independence declaration from 1908, which was supported by 13,87% of the voters.

A violent communist takeover took place in Bulgaria on September 9, 1944 after the entry of Soviet troops into the country during World War II. September 9 was Bulgaria's national holiday until 1989 when the communist regime collapsed.

The Bulgarian Socialist Party, successor of the Bulgarian Communist Party, won the country's first free election and stayed in office by 1991.

The election in December 1994 returned the BSP to power with an absolute majority, but the political fallout from a severe economic crisis in 1996-97 forced an early general election in April 1997, which was won by a UDF-led centre-right coalition.

The Bulgarian Socialist Party returned to power in the parliamentary elections in 2005 only to suffer a humiliating defeat four years later, when it was ousted by the square-jawed, tough talking ex-wrestler and ex-Sofia mayor Boyko Borisov.

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