site.btaTwo Protests in Sofia Urge Government to Resign

Two anti-government protests were held in Sofia on Wednesday - one initiated on Facebook by the Buditeli Civic Initiative and another organized through a website originally used for Monday’s protests against the 2026 state budget bill.

Initially, protesters gathered in front of the President's Administration building but later joined the main group in front of the Council of Ministers. They chanted "Mafia" and "Resign". 

Police searched individuals dressed entirely in black who arrived in small groups. Some of them were found carrying brass knuckles and small explosive devices. Protesters attempted to block traffic on Tsar Osvoboditel Boulevard, but police pushed them back onto the sidewalk and prevented the disruption. 

On Wednesday, members of the public staged protests  in front of regional and municipal administration buildings in regional capitals, including Ruse, Veliko Tarnovo, Shumen, Montana, Yambol and Vidin against local tax increases, the 2026 state budget bill, and called for the resignation of the Government.

Earlier on Wednesday, the National Assembly unanimously approved the withdrawal of the state budget bill and the bills of the National Health Insurance Fund budget and the Public Social Insurance bill for 2026. The Council of Ministers proposed that the National Assembly grant consent to the withdrawal of the three draft budgets on Tuesday, following a night of protests on Monday against the 2026 draft budget in Sofia and in other cities across the country.