MEP Kalfin Most Likely Presidencial Bidder of Bulgarian Socialists - Report

Current MEP and former Foreign Minister Ivaylo Kalfin will be the most likely runner of the opposition Bulgarian Socialist Party in the October 23 presidential elections, according to unconfirmed reports.

Kalfin, who is technically not a member of the Bulgarian Socialist Party but of the minor leftist Political Movement "Social-Democrats" was Bulgaria's Foreign Minister in the three-way coalition government of Sergey Stanishev in 2005-2009.

Kalfin is known for being close to outgoing President and ex BSP Chair Georgi Parvanov, and for being one of the more recognizable figures in Parvanov's ill-conceived political movement ABV ("Alternative for Bulgarian Revival") launched in the fall of 2010, a formation which was expected to turn into a political party has failed to rally any noticeable public support.

As the two top names slated for Socialists' presidential candidates – prominent actor Stefan Danailov and Blagoevgrad Mayor Kostadin Paskalev – have refused to run, Kalfin's bid is emerging as the most likely one, according to Mediapool, which also cites BSP MPs as saying that Kalfin's major problem is that, according to polls carried out for the Socialists, he would lose against a candidate of the ruling center-right party GERB without even making it to a run-off.

Another problem in the Bulgarian Socialist Party is said to be the refusal of several major figures to take up Vice President spot on the party ticket.

Senior Socialists figures are said to be growing increasingly concerned because while the Bulgarian population is becoming more and more disillusioned with the rule of Prime Minister Boyko Borisov and his party GERB, this disappointment hardly translates into support for the BSP.

Reports further indicate that ex PM Sergey Stanishev might be dethroned as BSP Chair. The possible scenarios include President Georgi Parvanov trying to recapture the leadership post once his second presidential term expires in January 2012, or that he and his lobby inside the Socialist Party will promote a new chair – Dragomir Stoynev, a MP in his first term.

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