Party of European Socialists

Outgoing Bulgarian Foreign Minister Kristian Vigenin will be the government's nomination to become the next EU Commissioner from the country, ruling party sources say.

Bulgaria has a chance to obtain the position of foreign policy chief in the EU Commission, an analysis by a French journalist shows.

Socialist leader Sergey Stanishev's responsibilities in the European Parliament are vital for both Bulgaria and the EU, the new head of the BSP's parliament group argued.

Socialist leader Sergey Stanishev has been authorized to conduct talks on the future EU Commission's policies on behalf of the Party of European Socialists (PES).

Stanishev, who is also the President of PES, renounced his seat as Bulgarian lawmaker earlier this week in order to become MEP. Parliament approved his resignation Friday.

Bulgaria’s Parliament voted in favor of terminating Socialist leader Sergey Stanishev’s MP term, which would allow him to enter the European Parliament.

During the EU elections campaign for the elections Stanishev, who is also the leader of the Party of European Socialists, had said his place on the BSP’s election list was mostly symbolic and that he would give up his seat after the elections.

Bulgarian ruling party chief Sergey Stanishev has surprisingly submitted to Parliament a request to be freed of his duties as a lawmaker in order to become MEP.

His move suggests a sharp turn in plans he has maintained over the past months.

Bulgarian Socialist Party (BSP)'s branch in the capital Sofia insists that thorough changes be carried out within the Executive Bureau, reports in Bulgarian media claim.

At a meeting late Monday, the Sofia bureau reached the conclusion that the next socialist leader should be chosen following elections within the party, Dnevnik.bg reports.

Bulgaria’s ruling Movement for Rights and Freedoms, DPS, said it disagreed with its senior coalition partner, the Bulgarian Socialist Party, over plans to continue building the South Stream pipeline, which the EU has opposed.

The European Commission opened an infringement procedure against Bulgaria on 3 June, and asked the authorities to halt construction work in the meantime.

Bulgarian socialists' leader Sergey Stanishev cannot become MEP for a brief period and return to national Parliament afterwards, prof. Ekaterina Mihaylova believes.