Jullietta Stoencheva, May 25, 2024
As the EU elections draw closer, far-right parties across Europe are seeking to strengthen their influence through international collaborations. A striking example is the partnership between Sweden’s Alternative for Sweden (AfS) and Bulgaria’s Revival. This alliance offers a telling glimpse into the growing transnational ties among far-right and EU-skeptic movements, with their shared visions for Europe firmly rooted in nationalism and opposition to the EU’s central authority.

The signing of the Sofia Declaration
In early May, AfS leader Gustav Kasselstrand arrived in Bulgaria for a weeklong visit upon an invitation from Revival’s leader, Kostadin Kostadinov. The visit was centered around an international conference in Sofia organized by Kostadinov, titled “The New Leaders of Europe”, where representatives from nine European far-right parties convened. The event culminated in the signing of what Kostadinov proudly called The Sofia Declaration, a document outlining shared goals: preserving national borders, protecting state sovereignty, and pushing for a renegotiation of the EU’s political powers.
Kasselstrand’s Bulgarian tour extended beyond the conference. Together with Stanislav Stoyanov, Revival’s top EU election candidate, Kasselstrand embarked on a road trip to the Bulgarian-Turkish border – a location frequently highlighted in anti-immigration narratives. The trip included a stop in a Roma neighborhood in the town of Sliven, described as a “ghetto” by Kasselstrand in a vlog shared with his YouTube followers. In the video, Kasselstrand portrayed the neighborhood as emblematic of Europe’s supposed immigration and integration failures, a message that resonates with AfS’s supporters back in Sweden.
Following the visit, the partnership between AfS and Revival has become increasingly visible online. The parties engage in mutual promotion, amplifying each other’s content through social media. Recently, Stoyanov recorded a video urging Swedes to “Vote for Alternative for Sweden on June 9th!” – a message Kasselstrand eagerly reshared. Revival’s official election video was also featured on Kasselstrand’s YouTube channel, accompanied by his commentary of support to their “sister party in Bulgaria.” Moments of camaraderie abounded: when Kasselstrand burned an EU flag at an AfS rally and shared the video on YouTube, Kostadinov applauded him with the comment “Well done, Gustav!”, to which Kasselstrand responded with Swedish and Bulgarian flag emojis. Similarly, under an AfS campaign video, Kostadinov left a supportive message: “Greetings from Bulgaria! I wish victory to Alternative for Sweden!”
The influence of the AfS-Revival alliance extends beyond their respective followers – narratives co-crafted by the two parties are beginning to permeate mainstream discourse. At today’s AfS rally in Malmö, Kasselstrand referenced his visit to Bulgaria, invoking the Sofia Declaration as a symbol of burgeoning far-right solidarity. He specifically highlighted his visit to Sliven’s Roma neighborhood, attributing the area’s challenges to the Roma population in an echo of far-right rhetoric in both Sweden and Bulgaria.

On the left: post by an AfS politician on X with the caption “Sweden 2015 – 2024”. On the right: the same two photos and caption merged in a single image on Bulgarian social media
The AfS-Revival collaboration’s effects also surface in subtler ways, such as social media memes. On May 13, a member of AfS tweeted a provocative post featuring two contrasting images: one of herself in traditional Swedish attire, and another of a group of Muslim women in hijabs, captioned “Sweden 2015-2024.” Within days, the same images appeared in Bulgarian social media as a collage with a translated caption, gaining traction among anti-immigration groups. While Revival’s official channels have not yet shared the meme, its spread in Bulgarian social media reveals a troubling pattern: far-right parties do not only operate within their national borders but also forge transnational alliances to amplify their reach and influence. In this case, the relationship extends beyond symbolic gestures, materializing in shared rhetoric, coordinated online efforts, and even the spread of memes that cross linguistic and cultural boundaries. As the EU elections approach, the implications of such collaborations grow ever more concerning, illustrating how these movements capitalize on shared grievances to weave a pan-European far-right network.