The chairman of the Party of European Socialists and Bulgarian MEP Sergei Stanishev will not run for a fourth term in a row as head of the PES at the upcoming congress in Berlin. He announced this at a press conference in Sofia, citing political reasons for his decision.

Sergei Stanishev said that he had not sought political support from Bulgaria and added: "One party cannot appoint the president of this whole big family, but you also cannot be the president of PES if you do not have a strong party behind you.” The MEP warned that a new risky stage was coming for Europe due to economic dependence on external factors. "I am not referring only to dependence on Russia in terms of gas or oil supplies," he added.