Socialists compromise for EU bid

AFTER winning weekend elections, Bulgaria’s Socialists said they were ready to govern with the outgoing prime minister’s party to keep alive Bulgaria’s hopes of joining the European Union in 18 months.

The Socialists said yesterday they saw Simeon Saxe-Coburg’s centre-right as the third partner in a coalition that will also include a liberal Muslim-minority party.

Socialist deputy leader Roumen Ovcharov said they were even prepared to negotiate the post of prime minister though they believed the job should go to their leader, 39-year-old Sergey Stanishev.