The Bulgarian Socialist Party held a meeting of its national bodies over the weekend, at which a decision was made to convene a plenum in early February. It will prepare a party congress that will elect a new leader or confirm the current one, as well as outline the future political line of the BSP. The political direction of the BSP is still being worked out. Everything is in the hands of the congress delegates, commented in the studio of "The Day Begins" Valeri Zhablyanov, a member of the National Council of the party.
According to him, in the coming weeks the socialists must make decisions on key issues – its participation in the government, its behavior in the election campaign, its program documents and its commitments to the voters.
Zhablyanov admitted that he voted against convening the congress in this format, motivating his position with insufficient time for preparation and the need for a calmer and more in-depth internal party conversation:
"The BSP has made a sharp turn – from long-standing opposition to participation in a coalition government. This has given rise to serious internal contradictions that must be discussed without escalating conflicts," he stressed.
On the topic of governance, Zhablyanov stated that the National Council assessed the BSP's participation in the coalition as successful.
"With one abstention, everyone voted that the BSP had performed well," he pointed out.
As main successes, he highlighted the balanced foreign policy and the process of adopting the euro, for which, according to him, the BSP's participation was key.
Regarding the public assessment of the government, Zhablyanov stated that it would become clear in the upcoming elections.
"The assessment is always collective - for all parties that participated in the government. "It cannot be distributed by percentages," he commented.
On the topic of the budget, Zhablyanov rejected accusations that the BSP made mistakes in its preparation, stating that the initial version was aimed at higher social protection and better incomes. According to him, the public tension at the end of the year was not focused solely on the budget, but was the result of accumulated contradictions, including around the process of adopting the euro.
Zhablyanov defended his position that a referendum should have been held on the euro issue, but stressed that such polls should be organized in an appropriate public environment.
"Referendums should not divide society and become a source of conflicts", he said.
Regarding relations with President Rumen Radev, Zhablyanov pointed out that the opposition between the BSP and the head of state in the past was a mistake.
"The current leadership has made efforts to restore dialogue and achieve institutional balance,", he said.
In his words, Radev can be a partner of the BSP, recalling that the president was twice promoted by the party.
About the future of the BSP, Zhablyanov stressed that the party has no problem with its political survival, but it needs internal consolidation.
"The BSP needs collective efforts, not constant internal battles. The leader will be elected by the congress," he said.