Politics

Bulgaria's government stepped down on Thursday after being in power for less than a year. This decision followed weeks of street protests against its economic policies and the belief that it had not done enough to fight corruption. Prime Minister Rosen Zhelyazkov made the announcement during a televised speech just moments before parliament was set to vote on a no-confidence motion. The resignation comes less than three weeks before Bulgaria plans to join the euro zone on January 1. “Our coalition met to talk about the current situation, the challenges we face, and the decisions we must make responsibly,” Zhelyazkov stated, confirming the government's resignation. Thousands of Bulgarians gathered on Wednesday evening in Sofia and many other cities, continuing a wave of demonstrations that show public frustration with ongoing corruption and the failure of previous governments to address it. Zhelyazkov remarked, “We understand that the protest is against arrogance and conceit. This is not just a social protest; it is a protest for values.” He noted that the protests were not just political disagreements over policies, but rather a matter of attitudes, bringing together various groups within Bulgarian society. Many protesters are younger, urban professionals who are eager for Bulgaria to join the euro zone and become more integrated with Europe. Bulgaria is currently the poorest and most corrupt member of the European Union, which it joined in 2007. Last week, Zhelyazkov's government pulled back its budget plan for 2026, which was the first to be drafted in euros, after protests broke out against proposals to increase social security contributions and taxes on dividends to support higher state spending. Even with this reversal, protests have continued in a nation that has experienced seven national elections in the last four years, the latest being in October 2024, amid significant political divisions. “This resignation is the first step towards Bulgaria becoming a normal European country,” said Asen Vassilev, leader of the opposition party Continue the Change - Democratic Bulgaria (CC-DB), which initiated the no-confidence motion.