BSP Chairman Krum Zarkov commented in the studio of "The Day Begins with Georgi Lyubenov" on the results of the last elections, the responsibility for them and the direction the party will take.
When asked whether it is fair that he should bear responsibility for the party's electoral failure, Zarkov replied:
"The truth is that I believe that if you are at the head of an organization like the BSP – the most important political force in Bulgaria – in two weeks or in two years, when you have obtained such a result, you must engage your own responsibility. This can be done in two ways – one is to resign immediately without conditions, the other is to seek trust in order to continue on a new course. I chose the second way, I received this trust, I am grateful, we continue."
He emphasized that the party has no time for delay and must act immediately:
"Four years seem insignificant against the background of 135 years of history. However, the truth is that we do not even have four weeks. We must start now – we started on May 1, we are starting a tour of the country to see the real situation and outline measures."
Zarkov outlined the main task before the party – to restore its meaning and the trust of the people:
"The BSP must consolidate internally and open outwards. It must rediscover its own meaning of existence, because the difference between a project and a party is this - the project is a temporary phenomenon, while the party does not disappear due to electoral failure. It can disappear only if it has lost its reason for existing. And neither the inequalities, nor the social injustice, nor the deep problems of Bulgarian society have been resolved, so that we think that the BSP has no reason to exist."
On the topic of the outflow of voters to other formations, including Rumen Radev's project, Zarkov was categorical:
"It must oppose viewing sympathizers and citizens as an electorate that can be stolen. Since they have chosen to vote for another political party, it means that we have not done our job of convincing them. We have not lost them forever, I hope. But those who go to pursue a career in other parties do so in a personal capacity and do not represent the BSP."
The leader of the Socialists described the election result as a serious signal from society:
"It is called a heavy sanction from the voters, which, however, is not the end. This is a moment when we must reorganize, rethink and become carriers of something new that will continue the tradition of the socialist movement in Bulgaria. I cannot be offended by the voters. I took over the party a few weeks before the elections with the clear awareness that great damage has already been done. We failed, but that doesn't mean we've hit rock bottom."
When asked about the party's mistakes, Zarkov clearly stated:
"A discrepancy between words and actions – this is one of the sins. It is redeemed through sanctions, through awareness and through clear acceptance of responsibility, not through witch hunts."
According to him, the left has a key role in protecting the working and vulnerable:
"Many of our fellow citizens live in exploitation, and some of them don't even realize it – they work without rest, without extra pay, in constant readiness. This leads to exhaustion, depression, broken families. If we add to this the elderly who are forced to work until they are completely exhausted, we will see that there is a lot of work to be done – regardless of whether we are in parliament or not."
Krum Zarkov also commented on the expectations for "Progressive Bulgaria":
"They said they would dismantle the oligarchic model, but it has two aspects – access to power and the comfort of big capital. They focus on the first, but have no ambition to review the second. The socio-economic model in Bulgaria is unsustainable – it creates inequalities and will continue to empty the country of people. It must be changed."
Zarkov defended his decision to leave the president's team:
"I do not regret it. I knew that a referendum on the eurozone issue was constitutionally inadmissible and I could not remain silent about it. If we only follow the Constitution when we like, there can be no rule of law."
He also commented on the country's financial situation:
"When a country finds itself in such a situation, there are three ways - to cut spending, to accumulate debt or to change the model so that the richer contribute more. These are the three options - the choice is ahead."
The BSP leader expressed confidence that the party will seek a new path forward, despite the difficult election result and the changed political environment.