Bulgaria’s Prime Minister announced on Thursday, December 11, that his government would resign after less than a year in office, following widespread anti-corruption protests. Rossen Jeliazkov made the announcement just ahead of a parliamentary vote on a no-confidence motion filed by the opposition.
On Wednesday, December 10, tens of thousands of Bulgarians took to the streets nationwide to protest government corruption, marking the latest in a series of mass demonstrations that began late last month. The protests were sparked by the 2026 draft budget, which critics accused of concealing rampant corruption. Although the government withdrew the proposal last week, public anger continued to mount.
“The government resigns today,” Jeliazkov told reporters after meeting with ruling party leaders. “People of all ages, ethnicities, and religions have called for our resignation. This civic energy must be supported and encouraged.”
Bulgaria, the European Union’s poorest member, is scheduled to join the eurozone on January 1. Analysts say the government’s resignation is unlikely to affect that plan, but low public trust in institutions and rising concerns about prices ahead of the currency switch have heightened unease.
“Bulgarian society is broadly united against the country’s model of governance,” said Dobromir Jeliazkov, director of the Market Links sociological agency. “Trust in the government and parliament is near historic lows, reflecting the severe political and institutional crisis the country faces.”
Last week, President Rumen Radev publicly supported the protesters and called for early elections. On Wednesday, tens of thousands gathered outside Sofia’s parliament, chanting “Resign” and holding signs reading “I’m fed up!” alongside caricatures of politicians.
Shop worker Gergana Gelkova, 24, told AFP she joined the protests because corruption had become “intolerable.” Many of her friends had already left Bulgaria and had no plans to return.
Bulgaria consistently ranks among the EU’s lowest countries on Transparency International’s Corruption Perceptions Index. Since 2020, the country has held seven snap elections following mass anti-graft protests against three-time Prime Minister Boyko Borissov. Borissov’s conservative GERB party won the most recent election last year, forming the coalition government that has now stepped down.
