03/10/2026
Vigenin: Europol has to have new tools against crime in the age of artificial intelligence
06/02/2026
January 2026 – Newsletter
12/02/2026Vigenin: Europol has to have new tools against crime in the age of artificial intelligence
06/02/2026January 2026 – Newsletter
12/02/2026
Vigenin: The election of a new leader is a chance for real change and for the BSP to regain its influence
“The election of the new chairman is not the end of a process, but a chance for the BSP to win back its position as a leading political force. It depends on all of us whether this change becomes reality, through a new organisation, new policy and involving young people in the leadership and the parliamentary group.” This was stated by Bulgarian MEP Kristian Vigenin from the Group of the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats in the European Parliament in an interview with Darik Radio from Strasbourg.
In his words the party’s latest congress reversed the negative trends and gave the left a new perspective. “Only weeks ago there was a sense of doom and apathy in part of the party membership. The congress, which some expected to turn into a forum of the BSP’s disintegration, did exactly the opposite, it mobilised the party and gave hope,” Vigenin stressed.
He emphasised that besides electing a chairman, the delegates also adopted a political platform that will be the basis for the election programme. “We reaffirmed our ideological foundation and our role as the only large political formation in the left space,” the MEP pointed out.
In Vigenin’s view the party faces serious work to restore trust. “We should not regard what happened as a job well done. A lot of work still lies ahead, both in the central bodies and in the local structures,” he said.
The MEP admitted that the BSP’s participation in government brought both positive results and political damage. “Our ministers coped with dignity and important things happened in the sectors they ran. But the accumulation of compromises and the limitations of being a junior partner led to a fall in trust,” Vigenin commented.
The MEP underlined that the delegates’ choice clearly shows the party’s direction. “The BSP has to be a stabilising factor in the political system. The left is not omnivorous, our voters have a strong sense of political morality and justice,” he said.
Kristian Vigenin also commented on the position of President Iliana Yotova in the current political situation, stressing her cross-party character. “Iliana Yotova is already a statesperson. She has the image of someone who stands above purely party passions, and that is exactly what the role of the future president should be,” he said. In his words the Socialists continue to see her as close to the left, but her institutional role calls for broader representation. “The more natural formula for her possible participation in a presidential election would be through an initiative committee with support from different public and political circles,” Vigenin believes.
He also commented on the consultations under way on a caretaker government. “The best option for a caretaker prime minister is the one President Yotova chooses. The constitutional limits are clear, and the responsibility of the political forces is to help guarantee honest elections,” the MEP said.
Vigenin recalled that the main task for the caretaker cabinet is the transparency of the electoral process. “Abuses at elections do not come from the institutions, but from the parties. That is why all political forces bear responsibility for the honesty of the vote,” he also said.
According to Kristian Vigenin the BSP can work with formations that have similar policies, but will not compromise on its identity. “We are a left party with clear principles. There can be no social state without democracy and the rule of law, just as there is no social justice without a fair judicial system,” he stressed.
The MEP expressed confidence that if the party continues the changes it has begun, the left can restore its influence in Bulgarian political life. “If we continue on the right path, we will achieve a stronger result than expected and we will mark the beginning of the left regaining its influence,” Vigenin concluded.
