Assen Vassilev Confirmed as Leader of Bulgaria’s We Continue the Change Party

Sofia, Bulgaria – On September 28, 2025, Assen Vassilev was unanimously elected as the leader of We Continue the Change (WCC), a reformist political party in Bulgaria. The decision came at the close of a two-day general assembly, with 289 delegates voting in favor of his leadership. Vassilev had been serving as sole leader since Kiril Petkov’s resignation on June 25, 2025.

Petkov’s Resignation and Allegations of Pressure

Kiril Petkov stepped down as co-leader of WCC and as a member of Parliament amid controversy surrounding allegations of pressure exerted on mayors in Sofia’s Lyulin and Mladost districts regarding public procurement. [Source: Sofia Globe]

WCC’s Position in the National Assembly

We Continue the Change is part of the WCC-Democratic Bulgaria coalition, which is the second-largest group in the National Assembly and the largest opposition group. The party has voiced concerns over the use of state instruments against it by the ruling majority. [Source: Sofia Globe]

Vassilev’s Vision for the Party

Following his election, Vassilev expressed gratitude for the trust placed in him and reaffirmed the party’s commitment to fighting for its principles. He emphasized the importance of teamwork, stating, “Now is the time to choose the other people who will help in this battle…because if there’s one thing I’ve learned from this life, it’s that one person can’t go far alone. It takes a team.” [Source: Sofia Globe]

Fresh Executive Board and Ethics Committee

During the general assembly, a new executive board was elected, including Blagomir Kotsev, the mayor of Varna, who is currently in custody facing criminal charges that WCC-DB views as politically motivated. The assembly too established a new ethics committee to address shortcomings in the vetting process for party representatives in public office. [Source: Sofia Globe]

Background on We Continue the Change

We Continue the Change (Продължаваме промяната, Prodalzhavame promyanata; PP) is a centrist, anti-corruption political party in Bulgaria. It was founded in September 2021 by Kiril Petkov and Assen Vassilev ahead of the November 2021 election and officially registered in April 2022. [Source: Wikipedia] The party has been part of the Petkov Government and the Denkov Government and is currently part of the PP–DB coalition. [Source: Wikipedia]

Party Ideology and Affiliations

WCC identifies as a liberal and centrist party. It is affiliated with the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe Party and is a member of the Renew Europe group in the European Parliament. [Source: Wikipedia] As of June 29, 2025, the party has over 6,000 members. [Source: Wikipedia]