Senior Bulgarian Socialist Party functionary Maya Manolova. Photo by BGNES
The Bulgarian Socialist Party is the moral and political winner from Sunday's early parliamentary elections, said top Socialist MP candidate Maya Manolova.
"We are both the moral and political winner, while [former ruling party] GERB are the big loser, because they have lapsed into a complete isolation," said Manolova.
Early exit polls after voting ended Sunday show that GERB have gathered the most votes, around 31%, followed by the Socialists, trailing some 4% behind.
Other senior BSP representatives, such as Angel Naydenov and Yanaki Stoilov, also stressed on GERB's isolation after street protests ousted the GERB cabinet of ex PM Boyko Borisov, and a number of scandals during the election campaign.
"The Socialist Party might find itself in the middle between two different types of nationalism to form a coalition, which might not be a bad situation," said Yanaki Stoilov.
He was suggesting the Socialists might negotiate with the other two parties certain to enter parliement, the Movement for Rights and Freedoms, supported by many ethnic Turkish Bulgarians, and hardline nationalists Ataka.