After being reelected, Stanishev spoke about the mandate of PES to improve the world for all its inhabitants and also addressed scapegoating immigrants and the subject of reintroducing the death penalty.
Members of the Hungarian Socialist Party also spoke at the Congress condemning the actions of the current government. Party leader József Tóbiás addressed the European People’s Party’s criticism of their own party constituent, Fidesz, saying they do not agree with their “pro-death penalty, hateful, anti-refugee, radical politician”. The party’s deputy leader, István Újhelyi, noted the trend in emigration, rather than immigration saying that Orbán was creating a “country of emigrants.”