Kristian Vigenin to the socialist women: Let us show an honest policy towards citizens and zero tolerance of corruption

„Over these almost 20 years you have fully earned your key role in the BSP and in Bulgaria, as an inspiring factor, as a generator of ideas and as a corrective. Thank you for your enthusiasm, your fighting spirit and your creativity. In the hardest and most difficult moments for the BSP you are the support and the basis for developing the ideas for transforming and strengthening the party.“ This was stated by the Deputy Chair of the BSP and head of the Delegation of the Bulgarian Socialists in the EP Kristian Vigenin to the 7th national conference of the Union of Socialist Women.

He pointed out that their mission of preserving unity in the BSP, of establishing it as a serious factor in politics and of restoring its international image as a modern socialist party is a special one.

The initiatives of the Union of Socialist Women

Kristian Vigenin highlighted the Union’s striking initiatives and campaigns: protecting women in the labour market and closing the pay gap with men; the fight against poverty and unemployment; access to healthcare; raising qualifications and lifelong learning; protecting young families and children; the fight against the demographic crisis; and the fight against domestic violence and violence in all its forms. He guaranteed that these topics will be a priority for the BSP’s representatives in the European Parliament, and that they must also be set out in the government’s programme.

„It matters what contemporary, new image of the left we build now. It is important to go on fighting to encourage young people, families, entrepreneurs and small business, and to create conditions for introducing innovation in various sectors“, Vigenin outlined the contemporary challenges facing the left.

The challenges facing the left

He set out the challenges: „We owe the socialists, our voters and Bulgaria a strong and united left. We must adapt our goals and our policy to the realities. We must show a transparent and honest policy towards citizens, without dependencies and with sharp intolerance of corruption. Care for the various social groups must be backed by concrete measures that have been carried out, and we must maintain a living link with them.“

Vigenin raised the topic of the balance of gender representation in public and political life and in the economy. „Two days ago a government was sworn in at the National Assembly in which there is only one woman, and I personally do not recall such an anomaly in my adult life. That is why, as Dora Yankova rightly noted at the BSP National Council, the next steps in staffing the executive must compensate for this as far as possible. If it depends on me, in the next Executive Bureau we must also achieve equal representation of men and women. And not only because this has been at the core of our policy since the very creation of the BSP, but above all because our party and our society need the competence, the care and the dedication of the Bulgarian woman“, the Deputy Chair of the BSP noted.

He wished the socialist women success and promised support in defending social and public causes.