Bulgarian Prime Minister Rosen Zhelyazkov Resigns After Mass Protests Over Tax Hikes

Bulgarian Prime Minister Rosen Zhelyazkov unexpectedly resigned on Thursday amid massive street protests and weeks before Bulgaria is due to adopt the euro.

“Bulgaria’s minority government, led by the center-right GERB party, resigned Thursday minutes before parliament was due to vote on an opposition no-confidence motion tied to alleged economic mismanagement and widespread corruption”

ABC News

His resignation ended a crisis that had been building for days.

ABC News

The US Sun reports he quit minutes before MPs were due to vote on a no-confidence motion and said his minority centre-right coalition was collapsing.

El Mundo notes the government resigned less than a year into the cabinet’s term and roughly three weeks before Bulgaria is due to adopt the euro on January 1.

Euronews likewise says he resigned after massive nationwide protests and that the opposition had called a no-confidence vote.

Le Monde reports that after a meeting of ruling party leaders, Zhelyazkov announced the government would resign.

Outlets varied in their descriptions of the unrest's scale, but all agreed on large turnout and nationwide action.

The US Sun cited drone footage indicating a rise from rallies of more than 50,000 to over 100,000 in the capital.

Al Jazeera

Euronews reports organisers and media put turnout in Sofia at over 100,000, with some reports up to 150,000, and noted additional rallies in Plovdiv, Varna, Veliko Tarnovo, Razgrad, Burgas and abroad.

El Mundo described weeks of street protests driven by economic policy concerns, poverty and entrenched corruption.

Le Monde noted that public anger persisted despite the government withdrawing the budget last week.

Overall, accounts converge on very large protests but diverge on exact figures and geographic emphasis.

Protesters were driven by anger at a controversial 2026 budget and by broader accusations of corruption and oligarchic influence.

“Mansour Al-Maswari is a Yemeni academic and Postdoctoral Fellow at Columbia University’s Global Center in Amman”

albawaba

The US Sun says the budget proposed higher taxes, bigger social‑security payments and expanded spending, and that it was later withdrawn.

Euronews likewise links the unrest to the controversial 2026 budget proposals (since withdrawn) and to anger at perceived oligarchic influence, particularly targeting politician and media owner Delyan Peevski, who has been sanctioned by the US and UK.

El Mundo emphasises poverty and entrenched corruption as core grievances.

Le Monde specifically notes that public anger persisted even after the budget withdrawal.

Together the sources make a consistent case that the budget proposals plus long‑standing corruption complaints fuelled the demonstrations, though El Mundo adds geopolitical context not present in the others.

Coverage highlights a fragile, minority government propped up by allied parties and targeted by opposition manoeuvres.

The US Sun calls Zhelyazkov's coalition a minority centre-right coalition and reports critics accuse oligarch Delyan Peevski and his MRF New Beginning party of propping up the government.

AsiaOne

Euronews similarly notes Peevski and says his DPS party props up the minority government, adding that police detained youths outside DPS/MRF headquarters and found large sums on detainees.

El Mundo frames the situation as a political clash between pro-EU and pro-Russian forces.

Le Monde records that party leaders met before the resignation announcement.

Across outlets the picture is consistent that the government was politically vulnerable, though sources stress different actors and implications.

What happens next is unclear; reporting flags immediate domestic uncertainty and international concern over the timing ahead of euro adoption.

“Bulgaria’s prime minister, Rosen Zhelyazkov, resigned after tens of thousands of protesters filled central Sofia on Wednesday demanding the government step down”

BBC

The US Sun reports the resignation came just 20 days before Bulgaria is due to join the euro, a timing that alarmed Brussels.

BBC

El Mundo echoes the calendar and warns of strategic implications, stressing Bulgaria’s manufacturing and transit roles important for Ukraine.

Euronews highlights that opposition moves and arrests preceded the resignation and that the country saw rallies abroad as well.

Le Monde underlines persistent anger despite concessions.

Together, the pieces show broad agreement on causes and outcomes but differ on which consequence—economic timing, geopolitical implications, or domestic stability—they emphasize.