Kristian Vigenin: The BSP is in government to press left policies, not for posts

„We will not put the government at risk in its very first week, but neither will we make big compromises on key priorities for the BSP. We are not taking part in this government so that some people can get posts. If it turns out that we cannot carry out our policies, there is not much point in our participation.“ This was stated by the Deputy Chair of the BSP and candidate for chair of the party Kristian Vigenin on BNT. He warned that the socialists must be attentive to the actions of the whole government and must not allow corrupt practices and dependencies, because society does not forgive such behaviour.

On the budget, Vigenin pointed out that the socialists do not accept restrictions being made at the expense of social spending. The promised increase in wages, in whatever area, must happen, including in the security sector, he believes. „When you increase pensions, the money again enters our economy and creates income for Bulgarian companies“, Vigenin gave as an example.

The Deputy Chair of the party again recalled that at this stage the right-wing formations are rejecting the left’s proposal for a tax on the excess profits of the banks and for concession fees to be increased, and that these are real opportunities to fill part of the gap in the budget. „There is talk of a huge hole in the budget in order to create negative expectations, and I suspect that things are not so dramatic, the aim being that Temenuzhka Petkova should end up looking like the saviour. When they accuse PP of accounting tricks, let us recall that last year’s budget was adopted by PP and GERB, not by the BSP“, he commented.

The BSP congress and the leadership election

Regarding the forthcoming BSP congress, Kristian Vigenin said that the meeting of the socialists’ highest forum should focus more on policy, on how the BSP is to develop, and that the changes to the statute should be minimal. „I am a supporter of direct election. It is more honest towards the socialists to have it. Once the right has been given, it should not be taken away. The direct election procedure has already begun, and if the congress interrupts it there would be a legal problem“, the candidate for chair of the BSP noted.

Kristian Vigenin said he is meeting and talking with socialists from across the country and receiving valuable and sincere opinions on important topics for the development and the positions of the BSP. „I am proposing concrete policies and ideas, I have published a programme and we are discussing it locally. It is very important that we hear what people think, rather than ready-made decisions being handed down from above“, he is convinced. „Bulgaria has a severe need for a left policy that closes inequalities, limits poverty and gives equal chances. We produced a concrete platform, 100 solutions for the accelerated development of Bulgaria, and the policies set out in it can go directly into the government’s governing programme“, Vigenin emphasised.

The Deputy Chair of the BSP pointed out that it matters a great deal who will stand at the head of the party at this moment: „In order to come out of this government stronger and to be able to carry out our policy, the BSP needs a chair and a leadership that can protect the party’s face. The BSP must be a corrective, it must not stay silent when mistakes are made in government, and especially on the topic of corruption.”