Anti-corruption protests break out in EU nation (VIDEO)
Tens of thousands of people joined large-scale protests across Bulgaria on Wednesday, accusing the government of long-standing corruption and demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Rossen Zhelyazkov and several other influential political figures.
The demonstrations, among the largest in the country in recent years, took place in Sofia and multiple regional cities. They follow weeks of unrest triggered by a controversial 2026 budget plan that proposed higher taxes and increased social security contributions.
Although the government later withdrew the plan, demonstrations have continued, with participants and opposition parties claiming Sofia has failed to address deeper concerns about corruption and political influence.
In addition to calls for the government to step down, demonstrators have demanded the removal of politician and oligarch Delyan Peevski, the leader of the MRF New Beginning party, which plays a key role in supporting the current coalition government.
Peevski has been sanctioned by the US and the UK for corruption and bribery. Critics have accused him of exerting significant influence over Bulgaria’s state institutions to advance his own interests.
Protesters have also urged the ouster of Boyko Borissov, a former three-time prime minister whose GERB-UDF bloc leads the coalition that formed the current government. Opponents have long accused Borissov of enabling entrenched political practices perceived as “state capture.”
Local media have noted that the protests have included a large number of Generation Z Bulgarians (born between 1997 and 2012), who have expressed growing frustration with corruption, limited economic prospects and political stagnation. Many have said they no longer feel represented by the country’s political elite.
Government figures have dismissed the demonstrations, stressing that the disputed budget proposals have already been withdrawn. Borissov has also claimed, without providing evidence, that the protests are meant to obstruct Bulgaria’s adoption of the euro on January 1, a process he has linked to the approval of the 2026, budget which was drafted in euros.
Bulgaria has consistently been ranked by a number of international organizations as among the most corrupt countries in the EU, regularly placing near the bottom of all member states in perceived public sector integrity.
