SOFIA, Bulgaria

Bulgarians rallied Wednesday in the capital Sofia against a new budget draft submitted by the government to parliament.

Thousands of people organized via social media at the call of the reformist We Continue the Change (PP) party gathered in Independence Square, where the parliament and Prime Ministry buildings are located.

They chanted slogans against Prime Minister Rosen Zhelyazkov’s government and the ruling coalition.

The crowd surrounded the entrances of the parliament building and attempted to prevent lawmakers attending a general session from leaving the building.

During the approximately three-hour protest, demonstrators carrying Bulgarian and European Union flags chanted slogans against the three-party coalition government comprising Citizens for the European Development of Bulgaria (GERB), the Bulgarian Socialist Party (BSP) and There Is Such a People (ITN) party, as well as the Movement for Rights and Freedoms - New Beginning party, which supports the government from outside.

The budget, prepared in euros for the first time due to the country’s planned transition from the lev to the euro on Jan. 1, 2026, is facing criticism particularly for certain parameters related to the social sector, including increased social security contributions, a lack of accountability for public spending, and the potential for a "freezer" effect on incomes, despite planned pension and health care wage increases. Critics argue that the budget is pro-inflationary and fails to address systemic inefficiencies in public services like health care and the judiciary.

While the police took extensive security measures, the protest ended without incident after the parliament’s general session lasted longer than expected and the demonstrators dispersed.