site.btaSocialist Party Unveils Candidate Lists for June 9 European, National Parliamentary Elections

Meeting on Saturday, the National Council of the Bulgarian Socialist Party (BSP) approved the candidate list for the June 9 European Parliament elections and the candidate lists and campaign platform of the BSP for Bulgaria coalition for the June 9, 2024 early parliamentary elections.

Former foreign minister, ex-MEP, incumbent National Assembly Deputy Chair and BSP Deputy Chair Kristian Vigenin tops the list for the European elections, followed by former deputy prime minister Rumen Gechev, incumbent MEP Tsvetelina Penkova, Vyara Emilova, Filip Popov, Alexander Simov, Gergana Aleksova, Sabina Petkanska, Velizar Enchev, Ivan Frenkev, Hristo Kavalski, Erik Rangelov, Nikolay Argirov, Rabie Kyoseva, Krasin Karakotsev, and two candidates that have yet to be named: one non-member and one coalition. Penkova is the only one of five BSP candidates elected to the European Parliament in 2019 who is now nominated for re-election.

BSP Chair Korneliya Ninova is the coalition's top-of-the list candidate in two constituencies: Sofia City and Blagoevgrad. Each of five other candidates also tops the lists in two constituencies: BSP Secretary Borislav Gutsanov (Varna and Shumen), BSP Deputy Chair Atanas Zafirov (Haskovo and Veliko Tarnovo), Ivan Chenchev (Sofia Region and Gabrovo), Dragomir Stoynev (Stara Zagora and Pazardzhik), and Georgi Svilenski (Pleven and Sofia City). Vigenin is the leading candidate in Yambol, and Gechev in Vidin.

Of the 25 top-of-the-list candidates, 14 are part of the 23-member BSP for Bulgaria Parliamentary Group in the incumbent 49th National Assembly.