CC Chair Vassilev Calls 2026 Draft Budget “Disastrous”, Urges Full Rewrite

Yoana Hristova, Konstantin Karagyozov

Continue the Change Chair Assen Vassilev speaks to reporters at the protest against the adoption of the 2026 State Budget Bill in Sofia, December 1, 2025 (BTA Photo/Milena Stoykova)

Sofia,

01.12.2025 19:54

(BTA)

Speaking to reporters at the protest against the adoption of the 2026 State Budget Bill in Sofia on Monday, Continue the Change (CC) Chair Assen Vassilev said: “I strongly hope that this budget, which is disastrous for the country, will be withdrawn and completely reworked. If the government and the parliamentary majority decide not to pull back this budget, they have no right to continue governing Bulgaria.”

Vassilev addressed the protesters, saying that they would not back down until the draft budget is withdrawn and revised.

Yes, Bulgaria Co-Chair Ivaylo Mirchev of CC-DB said that the draft budget cannot be adopted in its current form, noting that CC-DB had submitted their proposals months ago. He urged citizens to join the demonstrations and added that “we need to liberate our country”. Mirchev also explained the reasons for the protest: “We are protesting because Bulgarians have realized that MRF – New Beginning Chair Delyan Peevski is stealing from them. People understand this, and they are here not just because of the budget, but because they are being robbed,” he said.

CC-DB Deputy Floor Leader Bozhidar Bozhanov said that “Peevski can no longer be allowed to usurp power”.

Earlier on Monday, in downtown Sofia, people began gathering at the square known as the “Power Triangle”, where the new National Assembly building is flanked by the Presidency and the Council of Ministers, to protest the adoption of the 2026 budget bills.

Protests are also being held in the regional centres of Plovdiv, Varna, Burgas, Ruse, Pleven, Stara Zagora, Lovech, Veliko Tarnovo, Dobrich, Blagoevgrad and Sliven.

On November 26, there was again a protest against the adoption of the 2026 State Budget Bill, which flooded the Power Triangle. The following morning, GERB Chair Boyko Borissov said that he had told Prime Minister Rosen Zhelyazkov and Finance Minister Temenuzhka Petkova to withdraw the draft budget. Later, Zhelyazkov said that an attempt would be made to restore dialogue with trade unions and employers, and on Friday Petkova said that a new meeting of the National Council for Tripartite Cooperation was upcoming.

On Friday, Borissov outlined three possible scenarios for the state budget’s future. After the draft budget was not withdrawn, a confrontation unfolded in Parliament’s corridors between Borissov, CC Chair Assen Vassilev, and Yes, Bulgaria Co-Chair Ivaylo Mirchev, and Vassilev said that another protest would follow.

/MR/