Bulgaria’s prime minister, Rossen Jeliazkov, announced on Thursday that the administration would resign after spending less than a year in office, bowing to escalating nationwide demonstrations demanding an end to corruption.
The resignation came shortly before lawmakers were due to vote on a no-confidence motion introduced by the opposition.
Mass protests swept across the country on Wednesday, December 10, drawing tens of thousands into the streets. Although the government withdrew its controversial 2026 draft budget last week, public frustration continued to mount, with many citizens insisting that the proposal concealed deeper structural corruption.
“The government resigns today,” Bulgarian Prime Minister, Rossen Jeliazkov said following a meeting with leaders of the coalition parties.
“People of all ages, ethnic backgrounds, and religions have spoken out in favour of resignation. That is why this civic energy must be supported and encouraged.”
Despite the political turmoil, Bulgaria, the European Union’s poorest member state, is still expected to enter the eurozone on January 1. Analysts note, however, that public confidence in national institutions has eroded significantly, with rising living costs and the looming currency transition amplifying social frustration.
“Bulgarian society is in a situation of very broad unity against the country’s model of governance,” Dobromir Jeliazkov, director of the Market Links sociological agency, said.
“Levels of trust in the Bulgarian government and parliament remain close to historic lows, which is yet another indicator of the severe political and institutional crisis the country is facing,” he added.
President Rumen Radev recently voiced his support for the demonstrators and urged the government to step down to allow early elections. In the capital, Sofia, vast crowds gathered outside parliament, chanting “Resign” and raising placards that read “I’m fed up!” alongside satire of political figures.
Bulgaria remains among the worst performers on Transparency International’s Corruption Perception Index. The country has faced persistent political instability, with seven snap elections since the major anti-corruption protests of 2020 targeting the administration of three-term prime minister Boyko Borissov. His GERB party won last year’s election, paving the way for the coalition that has now fallen.
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