29/05/2009 (Agence Europe) - That European Socialists have not designated their own candidate for the Presidency of the next European Commission (thereby leaving the way open for the EPP and its candidate José Manuel Barroso) which is tantamount to “a sort of political suicide” of the Party of European Socialists (PES), former Portuguese President Mario Soares has said. “As a Socialist …, former Member of the European Parliament and Honorary President of the Socialist International, I have to protest and sound a wake-up call” to European Socialists, says Soares in a press release published on 28 May. He says that he cannot understand how several Socialist leaders (Gordon Brown of the UK, Luis Zapatero of Spain, José Socrates of Portugal, and Sergei Stanishev of Bulgaria) could have announced their support for Barroso. “It is something that is beyond my understanding,” says Soares. “We must not let the hope of democratic Socialism die by refusing to put forward a PES candidate. There are excellent potential candidates,” he stated. (H.B./transl.rt)