The terrain was free for fresh and authentic nationalist initiatives. The cultural and political situation was ripe for them. There was no reason for surprise that exactly a relatively less known“new face” could fill in the vacuum left by the absence of an influential formation with a strong nationalist profile in Bulgarian political life. The man who properly under­stood the moment and caught it was Volen Siderov. The strategic“20 points…” clearly testify for the truly populist and unrealistic political strategy of the Ataka party and its leader. If the points would have been widely read and understood – the political success of Ataka and Siderov would be questionable. What is unquestionable is only the electoral outcome. The phenomenon“Ataka” has become only possible after some major causes of a long lasting national crisis have been eliminated. This applies first of all to the resolution of strategic tasks of the international security of the country. In the current geostrategic context they could be resolved with the country’s membership in NATO and in the European Union. Now it is possible to speak loudly out what has been long kept silent under the regime of political correctness required by the circumstances. It was not the acute crisis which brought about the allegedly surpris­ing appearance of the radical nationalism in Bulgarian political life. To the contrary, it was the relative stabilization of Bulgarian domestic eco­nomic and political life which made this possible. However, the stabiliza­tion made Ataka possible since the stabilization has been achieved and is being reproduced under precarious conditions. March 2010