A Breaking Level In Bulgarian Political Instability – The Balkan

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On December 1, 2025, Sofia, Bulgaria’s capital, became the epicenter of what organizers described as the largest anti-government demonstrations in over a decade, drawing an estimated 50,000 participants to the streets. These protests, which spilled over into other major cities like Plovdiv, Varna, and Burgas, were primarily triggered by the government’s controversial draft budget for 2026—the first to be denominated in euros ahead of Bulgaria’s scheduled adoption of the common currency on January 1, 2026. What began as a peaceful rally outside the National Assembly quickly escalated into violent clashes with police, involving thrown projectiles, burning barricades, and tear gas deployment. By December 2, the government had withdrawn the budget proposal amid mounting pressure, but demands for resignation and early elections persist, signaling a deeper crisis in Bulgarian governance.

Bulgaria has been mired in political turmoil since 2020, when massive anti-corruption protests toppled the long-standing government of Boyko Borissov and his center-right Citizens for European Development of Bulgaria (GERB) party. This led to seven snap elections and a string of fragile coalitions, culminating in the current minority government under Prime Minister Rosen Zhelyazkov, formed in January 2025. The coalition—comprising GERB, the pro-Russian Bulgarian Socialist Party (BSP), and the nationalist There Is Such a People (ITN)—relies on external support from the Movement for Rights and Freedoms (DPS), but critics allege it is effectively controlled by sanctioned media tycoon Delyan Peevski, whose New Beginning party wields outsized influence.

The flashpoint was the 2026 budget draft, which proposed steep tax hikes on dividends (up to 15%) and increases in social security contributions, projected to generate €1 billion in revenue but at the expense of private sector investment and middle-class households already strained by inflation. Opponents, including the opposition We Continue the Change–Democratic Bulgaria (PP-DB) coalition, decried it as a “mask for corruption,” accusing the government of embedding provisions to siphon funds to oligarchs and evade fiscal accountability. The European Commission and International Monetary Fund had warned that the plan risked breaching EU deficit rules, exacerbating fears of economic mismanagement just weeks before eurozone entry.

These protests were not spontaneous; they built on smaller demonstrations in late November, including a November 26 rally of 20,000 people that initially prompted the government to pledge a budget revision—only for it to backtrack, reigniting public fury.

The December 1 rally in Sofia was organized by youth activists mobilizing via TikTok and Instagram, with slogans like “Generation Z is Coming,” “Young Bulgaria Without the Mafia,” and “Give Us a Reason to Stay” highlighting generational frustrations over emigration, corruption, and lost opportunities. Protesters projected handcuff imagery onto government buildings and chanted “Resign!” and “Mafia!” while satirizing Peevski and Borissov through caricatures and mock trials.

Initially peaceful, the event turned chaotic as small groups—some masked—advanced on ruling party headquarters, hurling rocks, bottles, firecrackers, and chairs. Police responded with cordons, water cannons, and tear gas, leading to dozens of injuries (including three officers from earlier clashes) and arrests. Garbage bins were set ablaze, and police vehicles vandalized, evoking memories of the 1990s hyperinflation riots. Similar unrest unfolded in regional cities, though on a smaller scale.

Social media amplified the unrest: Videos of clashes went viral, with users like @SlavicNetworks
framing it as a “Slavic awakening” against EU “silence” on Eastern corruption, while @ruslantrad
noted the protests’ scale as a “de facto collapse” of the coalition. President Rumen Radev, a left-leaning critic of the government, capitalized on the momentum in a December 2 address, declaring the cabinet “disgraced” and calling for “urgent resignation and early elections” to restore the rule of law—though protesters rebuffed his overtures with anti-Radev signs, viewing him as opportunistic.

Unlike earlier protests dominated by older anti-corruption activists, this wave was youth-led, with Gen Z participants decrying not just the budget but systemic failures: political lustration delays, oligarchic capture, and a judiciary accused of shielding elites. Emigration looms large—over 20% of young Bulgarians have left since 2020—fueled by low wages (average €900/month) and perceived mafia influence in politics. The euro transition adds urgency: Protesters fear it will entrench inequality without reforms, echoing Greek austerity backlash.

On December 2, Zhelyazkov’s administration formally withdrew the budget for “thorough revision” and consultations with unions and employers, a concession echoing the November pledge. Interior Ministry checkpoints and canceled police leave underscored preemptive security measures, with warnings against “provocations.” Yet, the opposition’s no-confidence motion, tabled for debate on December 6, looms large—PP-DB leader Asen Vassilev has vowed even larger protests, demanding full resignation.

These protests underscore Bulgaria’s vicious cycle of instability: Short-lived governments foster corruption, eroding trust (only 15% of Bulgarians trust institutions, per recent polls) and stalling EU fund absorption (€30 billion available post-Schengen entry). Economically, prolonged chaos could spike borrowing costs and investor flight, jeopardizing the euro switch—a milestone for EU integration but a flashpoint for sovereignty fears.

Short-term, we can expect escalated demonstrations around the no-confidence vote, potentially forcing snap elections by spring 2026. If the coalition survives, it may pivot to diluted reforms; failure could empower Radev’s allies or fragment the opposition. Long-term, success hinges on lustration: Without prosecuting figures like Peevski (under U.S. sanctions since 2021 for corruption), protests risk fizzling into apathy, as in past cycles.