Bulgarian Socialist Party Българска социалистическа партия Bulgarska sotsialisticheska partiya
Leader	Sergei Stanishev
Founded	3 April 1990
Preceded by	BKP
Headquarters	20 Positano Street, Sofia
Youth wing	Bulgarian Socialist Youth
Ideology	Social democracy, Third Way
Political position	Centre-left
National affiliation	Coalition for Bulgaria
International affiliation	Socialist international
European affiliation	Party of European Socialists
European Parliament group	Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats
Official colours	Red
National Assembly	36 / 240
European Parliament	4 / 18
Website
http://www.bsp.bg
Politics of Bulgaria Political parties Elections

The Bulgarian Socialist Party (Bulgarian: Българска социалистическа партия, БСП; Bulgarska sotsialisticheska partiya, BSP) is social-democratic^[1] political party in Bulgaria and successor to the Bulgarian Communist Party. The BSP is a member of the Party of European Socialists and Socialist International, and is currently led by Sergei Stanishev.

  History

The Bulgarian Socialist Party is recognised as the successor of the Bulgarian Social Democratic Workers' Party created on 2 August 1891 on Buzludzha peak by Dimitar Blagoev, designated in 1903 as the Bulgarian Social Democratic Workers' Party (Narrow Socialists).^[2] The party is thus affectionately known as "The Centenarian" (Столетницата, Stoletnitsata).^[3]

The Bulgarian Socialist Party was formed after the political changes of 1989, following the decision of the Bulgarian Communist Party to abandon Marxism–Leninism.

Its name was changed in April 1990, while the former Communist Party was still in power, during the mandate of Prime Minister Andrey Lukanov. Lukanov's term was marked by heavy food shortages and ended in December the same year, after civil unrest.

The Bulgarian Socialist Party formed a new government in 1995, headed by Prime Minister Zhan Videnov. Its term ended at the end of 1996, after the country entered into a spiral of hyperinflation, the most serious economic and financial crisis in its recent history. Large-scale demonstrations in the cities and a general strike prevented the formation of a new socialist government.

After two full terms out of power (1997–2005), the BSP and its allies in the Coalition for Bulgaria won the national elections of 2005 by 31.0% and formed a coalition with the centrist party National Movement Simeon II and the Movement for Rights and Freedoms. The cabinet was headed by BSP chairman Sergei Stanishev. The government adopted an liberal economic model more consistent with right-wing politics (10% flat tax^[4] and cutting of government spending), and initially built on the economic growth and stability achieved in previous years, while increasing state-paid salaries and pensions. However, in the second part of the coalition's term, Bulgaria, now a member of the European Union, lost millions of Euros of European financial aid in the wake of allegations of widespread political corruption. The cabinet was also slow or unable to react to the encroaching world economic crisis and its term ended with a budget deficit after several successive surplus years.^[5]

In the 2009 national elections, the BSP lost catastrophically to the conservative party Citizens for European Development of Bulgaria (GERB), obtaining a mere 36 out of 240 parliamentary seats (18%), and remained in opposition.

The former President of Bulgaria, Georgi Parvanov, is an ex-chairman of the BSP.

  Saddam's oil vouchers

The party received 12,000,000 barrels (1,900,000 m³) worth of oil vouchers in the United Nations Oil-for-Food Programme, according to the paper "The Beneficiaries of Saddam's Oil Vouchers: The List of 270".^[6]

However, this allegation had little impact on the public image of the party at the time it was unveiled.

  List of chairmen

• Aleksandar Lilov (1990–1991)
• Zhan Videnov (1991–1996)
• Georgi Parvanov (1996–2001)
• Sergei Stanishev (2001–present)

  References

  External links

• Official website
• Bulgarian Subject Files Open Society Archives, Budapest

Political parties in Bulgaria National Assembly (240 seats) Citizens for European Development of Bulgaria (117) Coalition for Bulgaria (40) Bulgarian Socialist Party Party of Bulgarian Social Democrats Agrarian Union "Aleksandar Stamboliyski" Movement for Social Humanism Movement for Rights and Freedoms (37) National Union Attack (21) Blue Coalition (15) Union of Democratic Forces Democrats for a Strong Bulgaria United Agrarians Order, Law and Justice (10) European Parliament (17 seats) Citizens for European Development of Bulgaria (5) Coalition for Bulgaria (4) Movement for Rights and Freedoms (3) National Union Attack (2) National Movement for Stability and Progress (2) Blue Coalition (1) Unrepresented Agrarian People's Union Bulgarian Agrarian People's Union Bulgarian Communist Party – Marxists Bulgarian New Democracy Bulgarian Left Civil Union "Roma" Communist Party of Bulgaria For the Homeland George's Day Movement Green Party of Bulgaria IMRO – Bulgarian National Movement Lider Movement for an Equal Public Model National Movement for the Salvation of the Fatherland National Front for Salvation of Bulgaria New Time Pirate Party Political Movement "Social Democrats" Party of the Liberal Alternative and Peace Union of the Bulgarian Patriots Union of Communists in Bulgaria The Greens The Other Bulgaria Union of Free Democrats Union of the Patriotic Forces "Defense" Defunct Bulgarian Communist Party Portal:Politics List of political parties Politics of Bulgaria

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