Bulgaria's Kuneva Denies Flirting with Socialists over Presidency Bid

Meglena Kuneva, Bulgaria's former European Commissioner, who finished third in the presidential elections on Sunday, has vehemently denied claims that her nomination was at one point embraced by the previously ruling Socialist Party.

"I have never discussed this issue and have never taken part in meetings that discussed it," Kuneva said at a press conference after exit polls emerged in response to a journalistic question.

Reports about such a scenario emerged in the summer when the Socialist party top brass approved a code, under which its presidential candidate should be popular in the European Union institutions, a loophole, which paved the way for endorsing Kuneva's nomination.

Despite admitting that Kuneva is a very responsible person, key figures from the Socialist party reportedly were saying that with so many worthy candidates among its ranks, there is no need to resort to a woman, strongly linked to the former king Simeon Saxe-Coburg and his party.

Reports said the socialists feared that the nomination of Kuneva would drive away the core voters of the party, who will refuse to vote not only in the presidential, but in the local elections as well.

Some have even drawn parallels with the campaign of Bulgaria-born Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff, who was strongly supported by her predecessor Lula de Silva.

The Socialist party runner for president Ivaylo Kalfin ranked second on Sunday and made it to the run-off next week, when he will face Rosen Plevneliev from the ruling GERB party.

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