Bulgarian Prime Minister resigns amid ongoing protests and no confidence motion

Bulgarian Prime Minister Rosen Zhelyazkov has submitted his government's resignation, as announced live on Bulgarian national television on Thursday. "I inform you that the government is leaving office today," stated the Prime Minister minutes before the parliament was due to begin voting on a motion of no confidence against the cabinet.

Speaking about the decision, Zhelyazkov explained that the coalition government had discussed the current situation, the challenges ahead, and the responsible decisions that needed to be made during its recent meeting. He added that they acted in line with societal expectations, as "power derives from the voice of the people."

Street protests have been ongoing for weeks in Bulgaria against the government coalition's policies. The demonstrators argue that widespread corruption has permeated all levels of governance and are protesting the failure of successive governments to tackle this issue effectively.

Opposition parties and civil organizations, however, have expressed their opposition to proposed increases in social security contributions and dividend taxes, which were intended to finance higher state spending. On Wednesday evening, tens of thousands of protesters marched through Sofia and several other regional cities.

The government coalition, formed under the leadership of the Citizens for European Development of Bulgaria-Democratic Forces (GERB-SDS), has been in power since January. It included the Bulgarian Socialist Party-United Left coalition and the right-wing There Is Such a People party. This was the eighth government in Bulgaria since the snap elections of October 27, 2024, which followed a similar pattern of coalitions coming to power after early elections.