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Bulgaria Withdraws 2026 Budget After Biggest Protests in Years

Opposition threats of a no-confidence vote put fresh pressure on a revised plan before euro adoption.

Overview

  • Parliament voted 201 to 240 to let the cabinet retract the draft, and the government said it will submit a new proposal.
  • Tens of thousands rallied in Sofia in the largest demonstration in years, with protests also reported in other cities.
  • Clashes followed the main rally, leaving three police officers injured, more than 70 people detained, and 14 charged with hooliganism.
  • Masked groups targeted political offices, pelting the DPS headquarters and vandalizing a nearby GERB office as police used tear gas.
  • President Rumen Radev called for the government's resignation, while euro entry set for January 1, 2026 heightens the stakes for the next budget.