Bulgaria ditches budget plan after tens of thousands join protests

5 hours agoIan AikmanAFP via Getty ImagesProtests took place in cities across Bulgaria - the biggest for decadesBulgaria's government has said it will withdraw its controversial 2026 budget plan after massive rallies were held against it on Monday night in the capital, Sofia, and in cities across the country.Tens of thousands of people joined protests to oppose the draft budget, which they said attempted to hide widespread government corruption. Clashes with the police broke out when some masked protesters attacked the offices of the ruling conservative Gerb party and also of the DPS party in Sofia.The government said on Tuesday it would abandon the plan, which also would have raised taxes. It comes after similar protests broke out last week, when the initial plan was submitted to parliament.Next year's budget will be Bulgaria's first delivered in euros, as it joins the eurozone on 1 January.Public opinion over adopting the euro is divided, with some fearing it could lead to sharp inflation in what is one of the EU's poorest countries.Protests against government corruption have been frequent in Bulgaria, which has been run by short-lived governments since 2020, after protests sparked the end of another Gerb-led coalition.ReutersA drone view shows protesters gathered outside the parliament in SofiaMonday's rally is thought to have been the largest in the capital for years, with protesters filling a huge square in front of parliament carrying signs urging a change in leadership.Significant protests also took place in Plovdiv, Varna, Burgas, Blagoevgrad and other cities.Critics of the abandoned budget plan said they were protesting against increases to social security contributions and taxes on dividends to finance higher spending, as well as state corruption."We are here to protest for our future. We want to be a European country, not one ruled by corruption and the mafia," Ventsislava Vasileva, a 21-year-old student, told the AFP news agency.More than 70 people were arrested after masked protesters attacked the offices of political parties, according to Sofia's interior affairs chief Lyubomir Nikolov.ReutersProtesters in Sofia were seen setting bins on fire, breaking windows, and clashing with police in riot gearBulgarian President Rumen Radev called for an end to the violence, which he dismissed as a "provocation by the mafia", and urged everyone to obey the law. "Provocations do not change the fact: Bulgarians said NO to this government," he said in a post on Facebook before the budget was abandoned. "There is only one way out: resignation and early elections."As head of state, Radev holds a largely ceremonial role.The government is currently led by Prime Minister Rosen Zhelyazkov, who formed a minority coalition in January 2025 after the centre-right Gerb party won October 2024's elections without a clear majority.A parliamentary committee had adopted the budget plan on 18 November, but Zhelyazkov later said he would delay it to allow for more time to consult opposition parties, trade unions and employers.After Monday's protests, Zhelyazkov's government issued a short statement saying it would withdraw its draft proposals and start a new budget procedure. Bulgaria's opposition party has called for the government to resign, saying abandoning the draft budget is not enough, according to local media.