Sergey Stanishev Makes Political Comeback, Opts Out of Elections

Former Bulgarian Prime Minister and Bulgarian Socialist Party (BSP) leader Sergey Stanishev has announced his return to politics but clarified that he will not participate in the upcoming parliamentary or European elections. Stanishev made this declaration during a press conference at BTA, shortly after the BSP released its list for the European elections, which notably did not include him.

Despite being nominated by several local BSP structures for another term in Brussels, Stanishev was ultimately excluded from the list of nominations after visits by representatives of the party's Executive Bureau. This decision was reflected in various municipal conferences, including those in Smolyan and Stara Zagora. Stanishev had nominations from over 20 municipal conferences across Bulgaria, but the BSP ultimately presented a different slate during the last National Council meeting.

Stanishev revealed that he had the opportunity to be included in the list for the European elections but declined, as it would lead to his automatic expulsion from the BSP. However, he refrained from providing details on his plans for a return to national politics or whether he would initiate a new project or join an existing one.

"Politics, for me, is still a service to society—a desire to effect positive change and undertake specific work," Stanishev stated, emphasizing the importance of societal expectations for a different policy direction in Bulgaria. He stressed the need for a policy focused on consensus-building and achieving tangible results, even amidst opposition.

Expressing skepticism about the left's potential for strong parliamentary representation in the next election, Stanishev attributed this to a lack of broad unification within the political...