Tens of thousands of people took to the streets of Sofia and other Bulgarian cities to join protests late on December 1 against the ruling coalition's budget plans, forcing the government to withdraw them the next morning.
But the crowds were also chanting "resign" amid deeper anger about corruption and economic issues as Independence Square was filled with people in the largest demonstrations since the 1990s.
Opposition parties were meeting on December 2 to discuss the next steps as speculation built over whether they would also demand the government step down and call snap elections.
"The whole situation with the scumbags who have been in power for 30 years or more simply needs to stop. We are the people who need to change this," said Alexander Karatov, a protester in Sofia.
Why Now?
The immediate focus of the protests was a budget that raised individual contributions to pension and social-security programs. The demonstrations were called by opposition parties that do not enjoy high public support.
But the budget's increases -- coupled with pay hikes for state employees such as law enforcement -- appear to have been a lightning rod for longstanding anger about corruption and government waste.
Karatov told RFE/RL's Bulgarian Service that his social-security payments and taxes were not being handled transparently.
"As a worker, I am already being stolen from. And regularly. And they want to steal more. I definitely don't want to let them do that," he added.
His views appeared to be widely shared, with protesters chanting that the government was "a mafia."
Transparency International ranks Bulgaria as the second-most corrupt country in the European Union, only behind Hungary. Bulgaria is the EU's poorest country, according to the bloc's statistics office.
It is also one of the bloc's most politically unstable members. Bulgarians have headed to the polls seven times since 2021 to elect a parliament that has been hamstrung by a series of unstable coalitions led by multiple centrist and right-wing parties.
Protests Erupt In Bulgaria Over Budget, Government 'Corruption'
Another protester, Karolina Koleva, told RFE/RL she would accept higher taxes to finance "pensioners, mothers, teachers…health care" but that "this money will sink again into bonuses for various people."
Is The Government Threatened?
This is the second time in weeks that the government's budget proposals have faced protests. It initially announced it would "revise" its plans following protests on November 28. Now it has said it will go right back to the drawing board.
The scale of the December 1 demonstrations took people by surprise. Unusually, they were not only in Sofia. Crowds massed in numerous towns and cities across Bulgaria.
Many issues appear to have contributed. Some people were angry about Bulgaria's decision to adopt the euro currency from January 1.
There was also evident antipathy toward particular politicians, namely Boyko Borisov, who has been prime minister three times for a total of nine years between 2009-2021, and Delyan Peevski, a legislator and oligarch who has been sanctioned for corruption by Britain and the United States.
Neither currently holds a government position, but they are leaders of two of the parties that make up the ruling coalition.
Protestor Stoycho Stoychev told RFE/RL the two men were "symbols of the conquered state." He said he had come to Independence Square because of the "outrages" of the past 15 years.
This was another factor driving people to the streets: the fact that politicians like Borisov have been in and around the center of power for decades.
Adding to the groundswell was support for the mayor of Varna, Blagomir Kotsev, newly released after months in custody on corruption charges that his supporters said were politically motivated.
"Democracy has been corrupted and we must take it back," Kotsev told protesters in Varna. Demonstrators in Sofia, watching his speech on giant screens, chanted "Victory."
There was no immediate comment from Borisov, Peevski, or Prime Minister Rosen Zhelyazkov.
Late on December 1, there were some clashes between police and protesters. Bulgarian authorities reported 10 people had been detained. But overall, across the country, the gatherings were peaceful.
