Former Bulgarian President Georgi Parvanov has made a bid to return to the helm of the Bulgarian Socialist Party. BGNES
A possible return of former Bulgarian president Georgi Parvanov to the leader's seat of the Bulgarian Socialist Party would bring the party back in its development, according to current chair Sergey Stanishev.
Speaking at a socialist forum Sunday, Stanishev was reacting to Parvanov's confirmation this week that he will run for the leadership position of the Socialists at the congress in May.
Parvanov was Bulgaria's president 2002-2012 for two 5-year terms, before which he chaired the Bulgarian Socialist Party, to be succeeded by Stanishev.
"I know that there will be no serious attempts to split the Socialist Party, for anyone who has tried to do so in the past, had to swiftly leave the political scene," commented Stanishev, who had already branded Parvanov's bid as "divisive".
"I have long stated that I will be running for leader again, and I know why - not for power, but because the party has a unique chance to develop during next year as an European socialist party alternative to ruling center-right GERB," added he.
"I have my doubts about our movement forward should Parvanov win. My criticism towards him is that his stance toward GERB since 2005 has not been consistent," explained Stanishev.
The Socialist leader was also critical of Bulgaria's former EU Commissioner Meglena Kuneva's move to leave the liberal Movement for Stability and Prosperity, apparently to found a new political party.
"During the campaign for presidential elections in the fall of 2011, Kuneva was the most fierce critic of political parties altogether," recalled he.
In spite of that, he said that the Socialists could cooperate with Kuneva, given her stance in opposition to GERB is strong enough.