Bulgaria's Stanishev to Lead PES Talks on Future EU Policies

Socialist leader Sergey Stanishev has been authorized to conduct talks on the future EU Commission's policies on behalf of the Party of European Socialists (PES).

Stanishev, who is also the President of PES, renounced his seat as Bulgarian lawmaker earlier this week in order to become MEP. Parliament approved his resignation Friday.

He was quoted by Dariknews.bg as saying the EU Commission President, Europe's top job which is due to find its new face Friday or in a matter of weeks (if EU leaders fail to pick one), could not be chosen "without support from the European socialists".

Stanishev stressed "clear priorities" on the Commission's activity over the next years are of urgent importance.

Among key issues, in his view, are new investment and measures boosting employment and economic growth, as well as promoting social justice.

With a European Council (a meeting of European Prime Ministers and heads of state) under way on Thursday and Friday, an attempt will be made to pick one of the EU Commission President candidates with the European Parliament elections' results taken into consideration.

After conservatives scored a victory at the European vote in May, many consider European People's Party (EPP) nominee, former Luxembourg PM Jean-Claude Juncker, to be a more likely choice than socialist candidate Martin Schulz, who was President of the European Parliament over the past years.

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