Bulgaria Withdraws Budget Plan Amid Massive Protests

Thu Dec 04 2025 21:05:49 GMT+0200 (Eastern European Standard Time)

In a significant turn of events, the Bulgarian government has announced the withdrawal of its controversial 2026 budget plan following unprecedented protests across the nation.

Tens of thousands of Bulgarians took to the streets to protest against the proposed budget, which critics claimed masked government corruption and included tax hikes. Following significant unrest, including clashes with police, the government has decided to abandon the plan, marking a pivotal moment in Bulgarian politics as public discontent mounts against corruption and economic policies.

Bulgaria's government has announced the withdrawal of its controversial 2026 budget plan after massive rallies were held against it on Monday night in the capital, Sofia, and in cities across the country.

Tens of thousands of people joined protests to oppose the draft budget, which they said attempted to hide widespread government corruption.

Clashes with the police broke out when some masked protesters attacked the offices of the ruling conservative Gerb party and also of the DPS party in Sofia.

The government stated on Tuesday it would abandon the plan, which also aimed to raise taxes. This decision follows similar protests that erupted last week when the initial plan was submitted to parliament.

Next year's budget will be Bulgaria's first delivered in euros, as the country is set to join the eurozone on 1 January 2026. Public opinion on adopting the euro is split, with concerns it might lead to significant inflation in one of the EU's poorer nations.

Protests against government corruption have become common in Bulgaria, with a history of short-lived governments since 2020, following protests that led to the fall of a Gerb-led coalition.

Monday's rally is believed to be the largest in Sofia for years, as demonstrators filled a significant square in front of parliament carrying signs demanding a change in leadership.

Significant protests also took place in Plovdiv, Varna, Burgas, Blagoevgrad, and other cities. Critics of the abandoned budget plan protested increases to social security contributions and taxes on dividends to fund higher spending, as well as state corruption.

More than 70 arrests were made after masked protesters confronted political offices, according to Sofia's interior affairs chief, Lyubomir Nikolov.

Bulgarian President Rumen Radev condemned the violence as a provocation by the mafia and called for an end to such actions. He emphasized the public's repudiation of the government, calling for resignation and early elections.

The cabinet headed by Prime Minister Rosen Zhelyazkov is currently a minority coalition formed in January 2025 after a general election in October 2024 failed to yield a majority for any party.

Following the protests, Zhelyazkov's government issued a statement confirming it would withdraw its budget proposal and start anew.

The opposition party has demanded the government's resignation, asserting that simply abandoning the draft budget is insufficient.