• Source:JND
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Tens of thousands of Bulgarian protesters took to the streets in Sofia and across the nation on Monday, marking the largest wave of anti-government protests in over a decade, as they called for the government's resignation. The unrest was sparked by widespread outrage from a draft 2026 budget that promised a hike in taxes and social-security contributions and further entrenched government control over key state institutions.

The great square in front of the National Assembly in Sofia, the capital city, became a sea of Bulgarian and European Union flags. According to rally organisers, there were about 50,000 people, which would make it one of the biggest public demonstrations since the 1990s. Sofia’s mayor Vassil Terziev called it “the most well-attended protest in the last decade.”

The protests began peacefully with chants of “Resignation!” and spontaneous singing and dancing. Protesters shouted the words “Resign” and “Mafia” onto surrounding government buildings. Two massive banners summed up the mood: “Generation Z is coming” and “Young Bulgaria without the mafia.”

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Increasingly Important Generation Z

Young Bulgarians-many of whom coordinated via TikTok and Instagram-formed the core of the movement. Their placards carried pointed messages, such as "Gen Z is coming for U" and "Give us a reason to stay". Students and first-time voters expressed fears that rising taxes, shrinking opportunities, and deep-rooted corruption are driving an entire generation abroad.

The current protest wave erupted on November 26, after the GERB-led coalition government unveiled its budget proposal, which includes tax hikes on private businesses in order to finance increases in public-sector wages. Demonstrators say this plan is a political manoeuvre with the goal of tightening government control over public administration and police, already critically lacking in transparency.

Anger At Government–Oligarch Alliance

Besides the budget, protesters have expressed their anger at the huge influence of controversial tycoon and political leader DelyanPeevski, head of the New Beginning party, whose support is crucial for the parliamentary majority that keeps the government in power. Peevski has been the main point of popular anger. 

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Although the Prime Minister, Boyko Borissov, has expressed readiness to revise the budget, Peevski maintains that the existing version needs to be approved. Escalation and Clashes In the late evening, tensions flared in parts of Sofia, with scattered acts of arson, fires in trash bins, and brief clashes between police and masked protesters. Authorities reportedly had minor injuries, yet emphasized that most of the protesters were peaceful.

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