Dear Little L, I think in the formerly communist countries, perhaps only the first of the three characteristics of Bulgarian populists is unique.

Methinks prime exhibit for populism sweeping another country is Slovakia. The main populists are/were: (1) Vladimír Mečiar: first PM afte independence and long-time political mafiosi, who mixed nationalism with post-socialism; (2) Ján Slota: the local ultranationalist, also longtime major of Northwestern industrial town Žilina (/Hungarian: Zsolna/German: Sillein); (3) Rudolf Schuster: was major of second largest town Košice (/Kassa/Kaschau), formed his own party, gathered 8% of the votes in 1998, and defeated Mečiar in the run for Presidency next year (to be dumped five years later); (4) Robert Fico: millionaire leader of left-populist party Smer, currently leading polls (he is the most popular politician and his party has one third of voters), who has no scruples allying with the far-right or Mečiar regionally (well, some of the currently governing right-wing parties didn't either: it was to keep the ethnic Hungarian party from power).

_{*Lunatic*, n.
One whose delusions are out of fashion.}