Bulgarian Socialist Leader Calls for Referendum on Tax System

Sergey Stanishev, leader of the Bulgarian Socialist Party (BSP) and the Party of European Socialists (PES), photo by BGNES

Sergey Stanishev, former Prime Minister and leader of the Bulgarian Socialist Party and the Party of European Socialists, has spoken in favor of a referendum on the tax system.

Speaking Saturday at the 48th congress of BSP, he noted that the launch of a petition on election legislation brought to mind ideas about referendums on more important matters.

He suggested that a referendum on a proportional vs. a progressive tax system or on the criminalization of the non-payment or the delay of social security contributions would attract greater public interest at a referendum.

Stanishev, as cited by dnevnik.bg, criticized the proposal of President Rosen Plevneliev for a referendum on election legislation, claiming that it was aimed at deflecting attention away from the 2014 European Parliament elections in May to domestic problems.

He noted that the President had become hyperactive after two years of lethargy, seeking to destabilize the government and Parliament.

He called on BSP members to refrain from a negative campaign over the recent proposal for a referendum, reminding that BSP had initiated "the first democratic referendum in Bulgaria", namely the one on the Belene NPP project.

He stressed that Bulgaria's current socialist-led coalition government was doing well and its efforts were already yielding tangible results.

Stanishev pointed out that the priorities for Bulgaria were industrialization, modernization, and a welfare state and reminded that center-right party GERB (Citizens for European Development of Bulgaria) was not to be allowed to return to power.

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