People's Party

Filiz Hyusmenova, who represents co-ruling DPS in the European Parliament, is the new deputy head of the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats in Europe (ALDE)'s group.

Bulgarian conservative GERB's MEP Andrey Kovachev has been elected to be among the five Quaestors of the European Parliament, the EPP group said in a statement.

In a message entitled For the First Time a Bulgarian Is Elected to the Leadership of EP, the European People's Party (EPP) assured that "no Bulgarian" had ever assumed such a high position within the Parliament.

MEPs are to convene Tuesday for the first session of the new European Parliament in Strasbourg.

They will have to decide on the Parliament's leadership and also to set up different Committees, with the latter activity to continue at the next sitting on Wednesday.

Turkey's two main opposition parties on June 29 formally backed a figure known as a devout Muslim to challenge an expected bid for the presidency by Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, who heads the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP). 

Socialist leader Sergey Stanishev's responsibilities in the European Parliament are vital for both Bulgaria and the EU, the new head of the BSP's parliament group argued.

The Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe (ALDE) supports a platform of Romanian Liberals gathered in the initiative group recently launched by Senate speaker Calin Popescu-Tariceanu, a former prime minister who was once head of the National Liberal Party (PNL), ALDE president Sir Graham Watson announced on Thursday.

Turkey's major opposition parties have nominated a single candidate for the upcoming presidential elections by choosing the former chief of an Islamic body.

Turkey's main opposition leader has vowed in Germany on June 7 that his party will abolish the laws when it comes to power to prevent an "intelligence state."

Jean-Claude Juncker could pull out of the race for European Commission President, according to diplomatic sources.

The former Prime Minister of Luxembourg was pitted as the favorite after his European People's Party (EPP) won the most seats in the European Parliament in May's elections.

The head of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) Christine Lagarde has ruled out the possibility of becoming the next European Commission President.