ISTANBUL

Bulgarian President Rumen Radev on Tuesday said the government’s resignation is “inevitable” and that snap elections are the only viable path forward, following large-scale protests against the Cabinet’s budget policies and widespread allegations of corruption.

In an address broadcast on Bulgarian National Television, Radev said the ruling coalition had lost legitimacy and failed to meet public expectations.

“Bulgaria needs real change that will lead to the restoration of statehood, and that is something that the current coalition cannot achieve,” he declared, BTA news reported.

He urged Bulgarians to seize what he called a “historic chance” for renewal, calling for “unity, will and wisdom” as the country faces mounting social and political tensions.

Radev emphasized that Monday’s demonstrations cut across generations.

“There were people of all generations in the square,” he said, rejecting claims that the unrest reflected narrow dissatisfaction with the government’s draft budget.

Instead, he said the protests were directed “against the state capture, corruption, lawlessness, and the refusal of the political class to hear them; against governance through money, smear campaigns, and fear.”

He sharply criticized what he described as an “unprincipled coalition” that has divided society into “those in power and the deceived and embittered voters.”

Addressing what he called “gentlemen oligarchs,” Radev said they underestimated the determination of both the older generations who experienced Bulgaria’s political transition and the thousands of young people who “care deeply for Bulgaria.”

Radev appealed to demonstrators and citizens who stayed home but share similar grievances, saying: “I address you with the belief that we will not squander this chance to change Bulgaria.”

He warned that unity would be crucial to prevent provocations and attempts to co-opt the protest movement.

“We know from experience why we have gathered. We also know from the past that every attempt to privatize the protest robs the hopes of the majority,” he said.

Concluding his address, Radev insisted the country needs “radical and real change” to restore trust in institutions and the rule of law — a process he argued the current government cannot deliver.