"The Bulgarian Socialist Party (BSP) invents a new profession: party leader," was how Bulgarian daily Dnevnik opened its report on the national council meeting of the BSP on December 20 2009.

The party's national council adopted amendments to the rules for labour relations within the party. Among the amendments was the new possibility for the party leader to engage in a formal labour contract with the party.

This would only be possible if the party leader was not in the executive or legislative power, and was conform the country's labour code, BSP party secretary Evgeni Uzunov said.

According to Uzunov, the changes were not introduced to benefit the current party leader, former prime minister Sergei Stanishev. As a Member of Parliament he was not allowed a second employment.
Party officials of the BSP would receive a 13th month salary, funds for which would come from savings on salaries, Uzunov said.
The average BSP salary of the around 150 party officials was between 400 and 430 leva, he said.

In addition to the new internal labour relations rules, the BSP also adopted a political position on the politics of the ruling GERB party. 

According to the BSP, the GERB Government should move from reactive to proactive policy and behavior. The BSP characterised GERB's rule as "authoritarian, populist, sharply contradictory, with insufficient competence and coherence."

BSP's view of the ruling Government was shared by around 12 per cent of voters, Dnevnik said.