“We, the mayors of the BSP, rank our party in third place among the political forces in the country. Being a mayor means having a heart for the problems of the people, working for an environment in your municipality that implies solidarity in common goals and common commitments, pursuing a fair policy towards the community and towards each individual. Being a socialist is the same! That is why our place is here - in the BSP, here - in Buzludzha.”. This was stated by the Deputy Chairman of the National Council of the Bulgarian Socialist Party and Mayor of Troyan Donka Mihaylova in front of the thousands of socialists and sympathizers who gathered at the traditional left-wing gathering on the peak of “Buzludzha“ under the title “Socialism with a Future“. The political rally, led by the Deputy Chairman of the party Atanas Merdzhanov and Atanas Atanasov - a member of the National Council, marked the 135th anniversary of the establishment of an organized socialist movement in our country.
Mihaylova emphasized that the mayor of Bolyarovo Hristo Hristov is serving his eighth term, she is serving her fourth as mayor of Troyan, and Ventsislav Grigorov is beginning his second month as mayor of Gradishte. According to her, the common denominator is that all three have received nearly 80% of the trust of their fellow citizens, which is indicative of both the work of the left-wing mayors and the need for the BSP.
“When we come here, we are charged with the energy of Buzludzha. BSP needs our support“, said the mayor of Bolyarovo Hristo Hristov.
He expressed categorical support for Chairman Zarkov and his efforts to restore the BSP. “Our party has been there in very difficult times and will be there“, Hristov was categorical.
The mayor of Gradishte Ventsislav Grigorov said: “I am glad that right here, in Buzludzha, I am on the same stage with BSP mayors who have earned the trust of citizens for years. I am glad to be part of a community of people for whom justice, solidarity and care for people are values. It is important for me to show that my native village of Gradishte has a future. And I will do it!“.
The Chairman of the Youth Union of the Bulgarian Socialist Party Gabriel Valkov emphasized that the future of the left lies in the new generations of young left-wing politicians in Bulgaria. “I believe that a large part of them are here with us today on this historical meadow! Only if the wisdom of the experienced and the energy of the young go hand in hand, will we be able to return the left to the top, where it deserves to be!“, said the young socialist.
The Deputy Chairman of ABV Plamena Zayachka commented that these 135 years show the impermanence of left-wing ideas. “Because justice has no age. Solidarity has no expiration date. Peace is not obsolete. Today's challenges - economic, social, technological and geopolitical - require policies that put people at the center. This has always been the meaning of the leftist idea.“, she shared. As someone who works in the field of culture, Zayachka emphasized that she believes that a country is strong when it preserves its memory, but even stronger when it invests in its people - in education, culture, science, healthcare and young people.
Denitsa Ivanova, member of the Executive Bureau of the Bulgarian Socialist Party said: “Thank you, dear socialist comrades, for remaining true to yourself. Thank you, upright proud socialists, who did not sell your convictions and did not choose the easy way. Thank you for your strength, because Bulgaria will always need people who do not give up, and you are exactly that.
The Chairperson of the All-Party Control Commission and former Deputy Minister of Labor and Social Policy Gergana Aleksova was categorical that any retreat from labor and social rights is a betrayal of 135 years of struggle for justice. “The battle between labor and capital is not a thing of the past. Today it is being fought by other means – by devaluing labor, taking away labor and social rights and deepening inequalities.“, she added.
In her words, the BSP's duty is to remain faithful to the cause for which it was created – to be by the people of labor, by mothers, by young families, by pensioners and by anyone who needs justice. “As long as there is injustice, there will be a need for socialists. Because freedom, fraternity and equality are not words of the past. They are our duty today!", she emphasized.
Official guests at the celebration of the Bulgarian left under Mount Buzludzha were H.E. Ms. Marieta Garcia Jordan – Ambassador of the Republic of Cuba to the Republic of Bulgaria, H.E. Ms. Dai Qingli – Ambassador of the People's Republic of China to the Republic of Bulgaria, H.E. Mr. Emil Jacota – Ambassador of the Republic of Moldova to the Republic of Bulgaria and Mr. Nam Truong – First Secretary of the Embassy of Vietnam in the Republic of Bulgaria, representing H.E. Ms. Nguyet Thi Minh Nguyet.