On Wednesday, December 3rd, Bulgaria’s parliament voted to allow the government to withdraw its 2026 budget proposal and submit a new one, following massive protests fuelled by accusations that the draft was intended to conceal rampant corruption. On Thursday, November 27th, the Bulgarian government said it will withdraw the draft budget for 2026, with Prime Minister Rosen Zhelyazkov pledging to resume dialogue with employers and trade unions.
Tens of thousands of people rallied in Sofia on Monday, December 1st in Bulgaria’s largest protest in years, calling for the government’s resignation in the EU member state, which is set to adopt the euro next year.
On Tuesday, the government asked parliament to approve the withdrawal of the draft budget, saying it would work on a new proposal–a statement that made no mention of the protests. In the end, a total of 201 lawmakers in the 240-seat parliament backed the move.
In the capital, clashes broke out with police when some protesters threw stones, bottles and firecrackers. Three officers were injured, and more than 70 people were detained over the violence, police said. Prosecutors reported that 14 people had been charged with hooliganism.