Bulgarian Social Democrats to negotiate with nine presidential candidates

The Bulgarian Social Democrats have announced plans to hold meetings with nine candidates for the presidency of the Republic of Bulgaria for the 2027-2032 mandate. This decision was finalized on August 30, 2026, during the second session of the party's National Committee in Sofia.

The initiative follows an internal Facebook poll conducted among members in August 2026, which originally included ten contenders. Notably, Maria Dobreva has withdrawn her candidacy for the upcoming 2026 presidential elections. The National Committee has tasked the Executive Bureau and the Dr. Petar Dertliev Civil Association with organizing discussions with the remaining nine candidates by September 4, 2026.

The negotiation framework is based on the principles of movement founders Yanko Sakazov and Dr. Petar Dertliev, focusing on utilizing the talent of the entire population and the goal of creating ‘rich workers, rather than a proletariat.’ A detailed written report on the meetings is expected by September 4, followed by an online session of the National Committee on September 5 to discuss the findings.