European Elections 2014

'Unprincipled' Ex President Move Aims to Unsettle Socialists - PES Leader

Politics » EUROPEAN ELECTIONS | January 14, 2014, Tuesday // 16:29
Bulgaria: 'Unprincipled' Ex President Move Aims to Unsettle Socialists - PES Leader Party of European Socialists and Bulgarian Socialist Party leader Sergey Stanishev gave a press conference at the BSP headquarters in Sofia Tuesday. Photo by BGNES

Former Bulgarian President Georgi Parvanov's decision to announce a separate list for upcoming European Elections 2014 is an unprincipled move, stated PES and Bulgarian Socialist Party leader Sergey Stanishev.

Tuesday at a special press conference in Sofia Parvanov officially announced that his informal ABV organization will run its own MEP list for the upcoming European Elections 2014 in May.

Ivaylo Kalfin, a top S&D MEP from the Bulgarian Socialist Party, has announced his decision to run as ABV's top candidate.

"Kalfin's move is directed against the Socialist Party. The nice intentions he worded are not convincing. The goal behind them is to weaken BSP's showing at the European Elections," said Stanishev at a briefing soon after Parvanov's.

The socialist leader suggested that the former Bulgarian President's move can be interpreted as a stab in the back at a moment when the party needs unity.

However, he was resolute that no rifts are in store for the Socialists, including their group in the Bulgarian Parliament.

In 2012, Parvanov - who chaired the Bulgarian Socialist Party before being elected for his first term as Bulgaria's President - in 2001, led an unsuccessful campaign to regain the chair position from Sergey Stanishev.

Since then, Stanishev has been elected president of the Party of European Socialists (PES).

In recent years, Parvanov has been consistently critical of Stanishev's leadership, saying he stirred the party away from voters' demands and onto questionable ties with shady businesses, accusations he reiterated Tueday.

"I believe that the present situation will only lead to a mobilization and consolidation of the Bulgarian Socialist Party's voters," stated Stanishev on his part.

According to him, ABV activists have assumed what he called a "schizophrenic-like" position in which they support a different election list, but still do not want to severe their affiliation with the Socialist Party.

"This move, orchestrated in such a pivotal moment, is highly immoral," stressed the PES and Bulgarian Socialist Party leader.

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Tags: SP, PES, European elections 2014, Bulgarian Socialist Party, ABV, Sergey Stanishev, Georgi Parvanov, Ivaylo Kalfin, S&D

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