Reuters
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Bulgarian Prime Minister Rosen Zhelyazkov submitted his government’s resignation on Thursday following weeks of street protests over the failure of economic policies and anti-corruption measures.
Zhelyaskov announced his resignation in a televised statement minutes before parliament was scheduled to vote on the no-confidence motion.
The resignation came just before Bulgaria joined the eurozone on January 1.
“Our coalition government met and discussed the current situation, the challenges we face and what responsible decisions need to be taken,” Zhelyazkov said in announcing his government’s decision to resign.
“Our hope is to reach the level that society expects,” he said. “Power comes from the voice of the people.”
On Wednesday night, thousands of Bulgarians rallied in Sofia and dozens of other towns and cities on the Black Sea coast. This is the latest in a series of staged demonstrations highlighting public dissatisfaction with the endemic transplant and the failure of successive governments to eradicate it.
Zeryashkov’s government last week withdrew its 2026 budget, which was originally drafted in euros, following protests. Opposition parties and other groups said they were protesting plans to raise social security contributions and dividend taxes to pay for increased state spending.
Despite the government’s setback over the budget, protests continue unabated in a country that has held seven national elections in the past four years, most recently in October 2024, amid deep political and social divisions.
President Rumen Radev also called on the government to resign earlier this week. “Between the voice of the people and the terror of the mafia. Listen to the voice of the public square!” Radev said in a message to lawmakers posted on his Facebook page on Thursday.
Radev, whose powers are limited under Bulgaria’s constitution, will now call on the parties in parliament to try to form a new government, and if they fail, which seems likely, he will form an interim government to run the country until new elections can be held.
