site.bta17 Vie for Bulgarian Socialist Party Leader's Position, Including Party's Acting Leader and PES Ex-President

Seventeen candidates are vying for the position of Bulgarian Socialist Party (BSP) leader. The list of the candidates admitted to participate in the direct elections for the post, was announced by BSP on Thursday. Among them is acting Chairman Atanas Zafirov and the former party chair, Bulgarian Prime Minister and Party of European Socialists leader Sergei Stanishev.

The leader will be elected on February 23. 

Other notable candidates are the Labour and Social Policy Minister in this country's new government, Borislav Gutsanov, Regional Development Minister Ivan Ivanov, BSP-United Left floor leader Dragomir Stoynev, Kristian Vigenin, a member of the European Parliament, the leader of the BSP Sofia chapter Ivan Takov and the leader of the party's youth chapter, Gabriel Valkov. There is only one woman on the list, Dora Yankova, who was recently re-elected Chair of the Organization of Women Socialists.

According to the approved timeline, the party's election commission had until January 23 to check the eligibility of the candidates and put out a list of those who qualify.

Here is the full list:

1.    Anton Kutev - party member of 23 years, member of national leadership of 15 years;

2.    Atanas Zafirov - party member of 34 years, member of national leadership of 18 years;

3.    Borislav Gutsanov - 36 years party experience, member of national leadership of 16 years;

4.    Boris Tsvetkov - party member of 27 years, member of national leadership of 24 years;

5.    Boyan Balev - party member of 22 years, member of national leadership of 8 years;

6.    Gabriel Valkov - party member of 9 years, member of national leadership of 4 years;

7.    Genadi Sabkov - party member of 34 years, member of national leadership of 8 years;

8.    Dora Yankova - party member of 40 years, member of national leadership of 28 years;

9.    Dragomir Stoynev - party member of 19 years, member of national leadership of 16 years;

10.  Ivan Takov - party member of 21 years, member of national leadership of 12 years;

11.  Ivan Ivanov - party member of 20 years, member of national leadership of 12 years;

12.  Kaloyan Pargov - party member of 19 years, member of national leadership of 12 years;

13.  Kristian Vigenin - party member of 28 years, member of national leadership of 24 years;

14.  Rumen Ovcharov - party member of 46 years, member of national leadership of 27 years;

15.  Rusi Statkov - party member of 46 years, member of national leadership of 23 years;

16.  Sergei Stanishev - party member of 36 years, member of national leadership of 24 years;

17.  Trifon Panchev - party member of 8 years, member of national leadership of 4 years.

The position at the helm of BSP has been vacant since June 11, 2024 when Korneliya Ninova announced her resignation over the party's weak performance in the June 9 elections. On September 1, 2024, she was also expelled from the party. The party has been with an acting chair, Atanas Zafirov, since  June 15, 2024.