Sofia, Dec 11 – The Bulgarian prime minister, Rosen Zhelyazkov, handed in his resignation on Thursday after a wave of large‑scale protests erupted across multiple cities. He made the decision just moments before the cabinet was set to face yet another confidence vote – the sixth one in less than a year.
Politico quoted Zhelyazkov as saying, “We have no doubt that in the upcoming vote of no confidence, the government will receive support. But for us, the decisions of the National Assembly have meaning only when they express the will of the sovereign.” He added that the official motions would only matter when they reflected the people’s true will.
A formal motion to accept the resignation will be taken up at the next full parliamentary session, where the ruling coalition still holds a majority.
“If we want to earn society’s trust, we have to meet the expectations set by the constitution,” Zhelyazkov explained. “Our desire is to rise to the level of what society expects. At this moment, as the constitution dictates, power derives from the voice of the people. We hear the voice of the citizens protesting against the government.” He went on to note, “Young and old, people from different ethnic groups have spoken out for the resignation. We support this civic energy and encourage it.”
President Rumen Radev is now slated to convene the various parties to build a new governing body. Should they fail to succeed, the president will appoint a caretaker cabinet that will run the country until fresh elections are held.
Since the anti‑corruption demonstrations that began in 2020, Bulgaria has seen seven snap elections. The latest outcry started in November over a budget proposal that raised taxes on businesses while earmarking more money for the state sector. While the initial trigger was the fiscal plan, the protests quickly morphed into a national movement demanding greater accountability, transparency, and new leadership.
Earlier that month, Zhelyazkov announced that the cabinet would pull the 2026 budget package following a demonstration outside Parliament. The decision came after a meeting with members of the coalition’s supporting parliamentary groups, according to a report by The Sofia Globe.
The government had introduced the new budget without consulting trade unions or employer associations, many of whom opposed the proposed revenue‑raising measures, especially the hike in social security contributions and the increase in capital gains tax.
On November 26, thousands marched in front of the central government building in Sofia, organized by the opposition coalition “We Continue the Change – Democratic Bulgaria.” The demonstration, one of the largest in recent years, was fueled by concerns over rising social security contributions, the doubling of the dividend tax, and the introduction of specialized electronic accounting devices for businesses. The event underscored the widespread discontent with the current administration.
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