The candidates, backed by the Bulgarian Socialists Party, a member of the PES, other political parties and democratic organisations, won at the second round of the presidential elections in Bulgaria on 21 November. Vice-president Iotova is also a former Member of the European Parliament from the Socialists and Democrats group.
PES president Sergei Stanishev said:
“The results of the presidential election showed that Bulgarian citizens see Rumen Radev and Iliana Iotova as guardians of the positive change that began with the mass protests in 2020. The re-elected president and vice-president should live up to the challenge to keep this change going and to help Bulgaria in getting rid of the corrupted model of governance, shown by the conservatives in the last decade.”
The PES president also expressed hope on behalf of the European Socialists and Democrats that Bulgaria will manage to form a working government and a majority in the national parliament, that will support this government in their efforts to improve lives of the Bulgarian people.
“Now Bulgarians expect from you a new chapter – dialogue between working institutions, political consensus on priorities for the country, regular government, upholding European values. It is time for Bulgaria to finally become actively involved in the debate on the future of Europe and in the policies for overcoming the economic and health crisis”, Stanishev added.
