site.btaSofia Mayor: Withdrawal of Draft Budget Takes Protesters' Righteous Anger Into Account

The withdrawal of the draft budget is a good sign, which takes the protesters' righteous anger into account, Sofia Mayor Vassil Terziev said Thursday on his Facebook page.

He condemned the violence during the protests as unacceptable, and emphasized that the provocations during the protests failed to render the cause of the disgruntled citizens meaningless. The freedom of citizens to express their opinion, including strong disagreement, is a fundamental principle of democracy and must be protected, he stressed.

The mayor pointed out that the main problem remains the draft budget, which does not reflect the needs of the people, adding that the attempt for quick adoption without debate must be criticized as well. Terziev called on the MPs to hear the protesters' demands. "Trust is not built by hiding, but by taking responsibility and dialogue," he added.

Early on Thursday, GERB announced that the 2026 draft budgets would be withdrawn, after thousands of people filled streets in downtown Sofia to protest the adoption of the 2026 budget bills on Wednesday.