Bulgarian government falls

Bulgarian Prime Minister Rossen Jeliazkov announced today the resignation of his government, caught up in a budget crisis that sparked several weeks of massive protests. Three weeks before Bulgaria's entry into the eurozone, the executive is stepping down as a motion of no confidence was due to be debated in Parliament minutes after his televised address.

Since the end of November, the country has been rocked by unprecedented protests, led in particular by young people angered by corruption and the tax increases planned in the 2026 budget. The government had attempted to adopt the bill under an accelerated procedure. Presented as a measure to bring the country into line with the arrival of the euro on 1 January, it provided for an increase in several taxes to cover the rise in public spending. For the protesters and the opposition, these increases were merely intended to mask persistent embezzlement.

Faced with protests, the executive had already backed down on 3 December by withdrawing its initial draft, before submitting a new version this week. But the anger has not subsided. On Wednesday, tens of thousands of people gathered in Independence Square in Sofia, demanding profound change. Many denounce an economic situation that has become untenable and a political system undermined by scandals. "Corruption is everywhere," said a young protester quoted by the press, explaining that many of her friends have already left the country.

Above all, the crisis reveals the chronic instability of Bulgarian political life: seven elections in four years, fragile coalitions and governments unable to last. The Jeliazkov cabinet, approved only in January 2025 after months of negotiations, lasted less than a year. The resignation also comes amid institutional pressure: the Bulgarian president asked the Prime Minister to step down last week.

With its entry into the eurozone approaching, Bulgaria once again finds itself without a clear political direction. A new round of negotiations is beginning, as Parliament attempts to form a government capable of managing a sensitive economic transition and restoring the confidence of a population that has lost faith in its leaders. France 24

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