Bulgarian PM Zhelyazkov resigns after weeks of mass protests

Sofia, Dec 11 Bulgarian Prime Minister Rosen Zhelyazkov resigned on Thursday after weeks of massive protests held across various cities of the country. Zhelyazkov made the announcement shortly before the Cabinet faced another vote of confidence, the sixth since it assumed office in January.

"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," Politico quoted Zhelyazkov as saying.

A formal vote on government's resignation must be held at the next plenary session in parliament, where the coalition still has a majority.

"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," said Zhelyazkov.

"Young and old, people from different ethnic groups have spoken out for the resignation. We support this civic energy and encourage it,” he added.

Bulgarian President Rumen Radev will invite political parties to form a new government. If the parties fail to form a government, Radev will appoint a caretaker cabinet to govern the country until a new election is conducted.

A total of seven snap elections have been held in Bulgaria since anti-corruption protests were held against Borissov government in 2020.

Protests erupted in Bulgaria in November over a budget proposal that imposed higher taxes on the private sector while allocating more funds for the state sector. However, the main reason behind the protest has been dissatisfaction with the government, Politico reported. The protest that erupted over budget proposal transformed into a nationwide movement, demanding accountability, transparency and new leadership.

Earlier in November, Bulgarian PM Rossen Zhelyazkov announced that the cabinet will withdraw the 2026 budget package after a protest was held against the plan outside Parliament. He made the announcement after his meeting with representatives of the parliamentary groups supporting his minority Cabinet, Bulgaria-based The Sofia Globe reported.

Bulgarian government had tabled the budget without holding consultative meetings with trade unions and employer associations after the latter did not participate in the meetings as they were against the budget's proposed revenue-raising measures, particularly the rise in the social security contributions and the capital gains tax increase.

On November 26, several thousand Bulgarians participated in the protest organised by opposition coalition We Continue the Change – Democratic Bulgaria in the centre of Bulgaria's capital, Sofia, against the government’s budget 2026. The protest was among the largest witnessed in Sofia in recent years, The Sofia Globe reported. The protest organisers had said that the rise in social security contributions, the doubling of the tax on dividends, and disagreement with the introduction of special electronic accounting devices for businesses as the main reason for the protests against the budget.

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