Bulgaria’s cabinet pulled the plug on Thursday, ending its tenure the year after it began, after a wave of street demonstrations that had rattled the country over its economic strategy and a stubborn perception that the government had not tackled the country’s deep‑seated corruption. Prime Minister Rosen Zhelyazkov told the nation on live television that the administration would step down, just minutes before Parliament was set to vote on a motion of no confidence. The resignation comes a little more than three weeks before Bulgaria is scheduled to adopt the euro on January 1.
“Our coalition met, we discussed the current situation, the challenges we face and the decisions we must responsibly make,” Zhelyazkov said, confirming the government’s exit. His remark came after thousands of Bulgarians marched in Sofia on Wednesday evening and in other towns, adding to a string of protests that have fueled widespread irritation with the repeated failure of successive governments to root out graft.
“We realise that the protest was against arrogance and conceit, this is not a social protest, but a protest for values,” he added. “It was not a meeting of political opponents over policies but over attitudes, and therefore it unites different components of Bulgarian society.” The demonstrators are largely composed of younger, urban professionals who back Bulgaria’s move into the euro zone and wish the country to integrate more fully into European life.
Bulgaria remains the EU’s poorest and most corrupt member, having joined the bloc in 2007. Last week, the Zhelyazkov administration scrapped its 2026 budget – its first written in euros – after citizens protested proposals that would increase social security contributions and tax shares on dividends to bolster the state’s coffers. Though the plan was abandoned, the rallies persisted in a nation that has held seven national elections in the past four years, most recently in October 2024, amid sharp political cleavages.
“This (resignation) is the first step towards Bulgaria becoming a normal European country,” said Asen Vassilev, head of the opposition Continue the Change – Democratic Bulgaria (CC‑DB), the party that filed the no‑confidence motion. He went on to say, “The next step… is to hold fair and free elections, not elections marred by electoral manipulation, as was the case with the last parliamentary elections.”
President Rumen Radev will now call on parliamentary parties to try to form a new coalition. If that fails – which appears likely – he will appoint an interim government to steer the country until fresh elections can be organized.
Boyko Borissov, leader of the centre‑right GERB party that powered the previous coalition, defended the record of his side. At a press conference at his party’s headquarters he declared, “We have nothing to be ashamed of over these past 11 months. After today, we will be a strong opposition; we will work to win the (next) elections.”
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