Bulgarians demonstrate intolerance toward the current model of state governance

"We want change! We’re protesting for a better present! Resignation!" … Thousands of Bulgarians filled the squares of Sofia and the larger cities across the country on December 11, demanding the resignation of the government and the removal of Delyan Peevski and Boyko Borissov from power. The wave of protests crossed the country’s borders – Bulgarian nationals living in many European cities also raised posters against corruption and the model of governance in their homeland, proving that the discontent is not local but part of a broader civic impulse among Bulgarians in and outside Bulgaria.

Rumen Radev: People got ahead of Parliament and voted no confidence in cabinet

"For 36 years now Bulgarians have been striving for democracy and change, but instead we get replacement of these values. We’ve had enough!" - Generation Z has taken to the streets and made a clear statement of intolerance:

Mass anti-government protests across Bulgaria ahead of the no-confidence vote

"We’re here at the protest because we want change and reforms in Bulgaria so that we stop being the poorest country in Europe. We are protesting against the arrogant attitude of our politicians. There is a different energy now, many more people are coming, and personally I have some hope. I will vote if there are early elections - I always vote, but now I feel encouraged because there is real mobilization among voters, and this has the potential to lead to positive changes in Bulgaria," said Deyan Tsvyatkov - one among the many thousands of protesting citizens in the center of Sofia - speaking to Radio Bulgaria.

Lily Tsenova also called for the resignation of the current government:

"A radical change needs to happen, and these people must finally understand that they are not wanted, that they must leave, and that young people must be given a voice. With today’s modern media, this civic movement can no longer be manipulated, because it cannot be hidden - everyone sees it."

The ruling parties have exhausted the moral credit of trust from Bulgarian citizens, who now demand early elections with high voter turnout to produce a legitimate majority - the current parliament was elected after only 38% of voters turned out in October 2024.

"I do not approve of the current parliamentary governance and certain individuals - everyone knows who. Over these years I have not seen progress in Bulgaria. I work in the cultural sector, and in our jargon we say we’re ‘the last hole of the flute.’ I believe the entire political model must change - this “elite” needs to go away. If this government falls, I expect new, adequate elections, control over machine voting, and people motivated to contribute to fair elections," explained Volen Vladov from Sofia, outlining his reasons for participating in the protest.

Organized by the opposition coalition “We Continue the Change-Democratic Bulgaria” as a reaction to the proposed 2026 state budget, the protest grew into an anti-government and supra-partisan demonstration. The massive national discontent has united people from different generations. They came with bright faces, positively motivated to express their will - and they did so decisively and colorfully, with music, performances, and peaceful action.

"We’re all here at the protest with our 5-month-old baby and 4-year-old daughter simply because their grandparents are also here and there’s no one to look after them," said Yohana Trayanova. "We are here because we truly like living in Bulgaria - we want to stay in Bulgaria. As parents we bear a serious responsibility - to have a future for our children in this country. But with this model of governance, which has existed for many years, I see less and less of a future for my children. And I’m here because I want this to change – I want Bulgaria to be a normal European country that provides good education for children, good infrastructure, good roads and healthcare system… But all these ‘systems’ right now are beyond all criticism. I know this can change, because so many young people want to stay here, want to see and materialize that change!"

"The public mood we’re observing is very valuable. Right now, we’re witnessing a refusal to accept the status quo," political scientist Daria-Lora Dacheva told the Bulgarian National Radio.

Academician Ivan Ilchev added: "This is not a banal protest for 50 or 100 leva more in wages. This is a protest against the moral standards of Bulgarian politicians. It’s not just about money—it’s about values. People no longer accept being lied to arrogantly and with impunity. A sense has built up that there are no boundaries left."

According to analysts, the scale of public discontent is shortening the political horizon of those in power. Whether the government will fall under the pressure of the protesters remains to be seen. The parties forming the government - GERB, BSP, and ITN, supported by DPS-New Beginning - insist they will not allow the destabilization of the state “meters before the finish line” for adopting the euro: "Joining the Eurozone is a geostrategic task. I will not allow it to be compromised because of domestic political clashes," Boyko Borissov stated in Parliament earlier this week. He emphasized that he heard all signals coming from the streets and indicated he was willing to discuss resignations and new elections after January 1: "I hope that every Bulgarian will be able to withdraw euros calmly from an ATM - that is the big goal, and no one has the right to sabotage it," noted the leader of GERB, the mandate-holding party.

Patience, however, is not a characteristic of youth. Over 150 Bulgarians gathered in the square in front of the opera house in Vienna, organized by two Bulgarian students in the Austrian capital - 18-year-old David Radoslavov and his colleague Tsvetomir Patarinski.

These young people studying at European universitie, the Bulgarians abroad, feel there is nothing to wait for, since they are already in the Eurozone, and they do not accept Boyko Borissov’s statement “we’ll enter the Eurozone first, and then we’ll talk about resignations,” says Mariana De Meo from Vienna, sharing her impressions from the protest in the Austrian capital with the Bulgarian National Radio:

"All these people, with flags and posters, came to express their disgust at the vulgarity and the mafia that thrives in Bulgaria. I am someone who organized protests here in Vienna in 2020 with my friends, and I can confidently say that the difference now is in the generation that came out in the streets. These were exceptionally young people - they made their own posters and expressed their disgust with the reality in Bulgaria in the purest and most wonderful way, as well as their enormous desire to study and work in Bulgaria. I am an optimist, but in recent months I had been discouraged. I’ve been protesting since 1989, then the big protests in 2013 and 2020, and I asked myself what the difference is - why in 2025 should things finally change? I don’t know what will happen now, but I went out into the square with these young people to protect them. Because it's our generation’s responsibility, after having lived through all these protests, to make sure they are not deceived again. In 2013 the vote was replaced, in 2020 ITN also misled many people, and now I’m crossing my fingers that all the right-wing and far-right parties that are emerging and saying what the youth want to hear will not brainwash them. It is our task to protect them from that!"

There were protests of Bulgarians last night also in Berlin, London, Barcelona, Brussels, The Hague, Zurich, Stockholm, and elsewhere.

English version: R. Petkova