Sofia, Bulgaria – Bulgarian Prime Minister Rosen Zhelyazkov announced the resignation of his government on Thursday, December 11, 2025, after less than a year in power, marking the latest collapse of a fragile coalition amid a deepening political crisis in the European Union’s poorest member state.
The surprise announcement came just minutes before parliament was set to vote on a no-confidence motion tabled by the opposition. It followed weeks of mass demonstrations driven by widespread public fury over entrenched corruption and a highly controversial draft budget for 2026.
"The government resigns today," Zhelyazkov told reporters outside the parliament building in Sofia after an emergency meeting of the ruling coalition leaders. "People of all ages, ethnic backgrounds, and religions have spoken out in favor of resignation. That is why this civic energy must be supported and encouraged."
The minority coalition, led by Zhelyazkov’s center-right GERB party in alliance with the Bulgarian Socialist Party (BSP) and the populist There Is Such a People (ITN), had taken office earlier in 2025 following GERB’s victory in the October 2024 parliamentary elections.
The current wave of protests erupted in late November, sparked by the government’s draft 2026 budget — the first to be prepared entirely in euros ahead of Bulgaria’s scheduled adoption of the single currency on January 1, 2026. Critics denounced the proposal as a vehicle for systemic corruption, pointing to planned increases in social security contributions, a doubling of the dividend tax from 5% to 10%, and large public spending allocations that many feared would flow into opaque state structures and politically connected interests.
Although the government withdrew the draft budget on December 2 after intense backlash, the concession failed to calm public anger. Demonstrations only grew larger. On December 10, tens of thousands marched in Sofia and other major cities, with estimates of up to 100,000 people gathering in the capital alone. Protesters waved Bulgarian and EU flags, chanted “Resign!” and carried banners reading “I’m Fed Up!” alongside caricatures of prominent politicians, including longtime GERB leader Boyko Borissov and media magnate Delyan Peevski, who remains under U.S. Magnitsky sanctions for alleged corruption.
The protests have remained overwhelmingly peaceful, though minor clashes occurred in early December when masked individuals threw fireworks and bottles at police lines, prompting the use of tear gas.
Bulgaria’s chronic struggle with corruption lies at the heart of the unrest. The country continues to rank as one of the most corrupt in the European Union, scoring just 43 out of 100 on Transparency International’s 2024 Corruption Perceptions Index — the lowest among all EU members. Public trust in state institutions is near historic lows, with recent surveys showing approval ratings for both government and parliament hovering in the single digits.
President Rumen Radev, a frequent critic of GERB-led cabinets, openly endorsed the protesters last week, describing the demonstrations as a “civic vote of no confidence” and calling on the government to step down immediately to allow early elections.
Personal testimonies from the streets reflect deep despair among younger generations. Gergana Gelkova, a 24-year-old shop worker in Sofia, told reporters she was protesting because “corruption has become intolerable.” She added that most of her friends have already emigrated and have no intention of returning, a sentiment shared by hundreds of thousands of young Bulgarians who have left the country over the past decade.
Since the massive anti-corruption protests of 2020 that toppled Boyko Borissov’s third government, Bulgaria has gone through seven parliamentary elections and multiple short-lived coalitions — none of which has lasted a full term. The current crisis is widely seen as a continuation of that unresolved struggle against a political model many citizens describe as “state capture” by oligarchic interests.
Despite the turmoil, analysts believe Bulgaria’s entry into the eurozone will proceed as planned on January 1, 2026. The technical criteria have been met, inflation is within acceptable limits, and the European Central Bank has already given final approval. However, public skepticism about the currency switch remains high, with many fearing sharp price increases during the transition period — fears that were only amplified by the controversial budget proposal.
Following the resignation, President Radev is now constitutionally required to hand exploratory mandates to form a new government, starting with the largest parliamentary group (GERB), then the second-largest (We Continue the Change – Democratic Bulgaria), and finally any other party. If all three attempts fail within the allotted time, early parliamentary elections must be held within two months — most likely in February or March 2026.
Opposition leaders from the pro-European We Continue the Change – Democratic Bulgaria bloc welcomed the resignation but warned that it is only the first step toward genuine change. Student organizers and civil society groups have vowed to maintain pressure on the streets until systemic anti-corruption reforms are implemented.
As darkness fell over Sofia on Thursday evening, small groups of demonstrators remained near the parliament building, waving flags in the cold December air. For many, the government’s fall represents a moment of hard-won victory — but also a reminder that the deeper struggle for accountable, transparent governance in Bulgaria is far from over.
With the euro adoption just weeks away and another election cycle looming, the country stands at yet another crossroads. Whether this latest outburst of “civic energy” finally breaks the cycle of instability that has plagued Bulgaria for half a decade remains to be seen.
