VIDEO The increase in budget workers' salaries and the increase in taxes brought thousands of Bulgarians to the streets
Bulgarian flag, Photo: Sunny Celeste / imageBROKER / Profimedia
Several thousand Bulgarians demonstrated on Wednesday in front of the parliament in Sofia against the draft budget for 2026, which provides for an increase in salaries in the public sector and an increase in taxes, which in their opinion masks corruption, reports AFP, taken over by Agerpres.
“We have not found a decrease in criminality, which would justify increases at the Ministry of the Interior and, in my opinion, these funds will be used to buy votes,” said Maria Sirakova, 50 years old.
The demonstrators surrounded the building to prevent the exit of the deputies, chanting “Resignation” and “Mafia”. The demonstration, organized by the pro-European CC/BD alliance, was supported by the extreme right.
The draft budget “only restricts the desire to invest in the private sector. I chose to stay in Bulgaria, but not in a Bulgaria of dubious business,” said Ivana Ivanova (20), a law student.
Today, major protests erupted in Sofia against the adoption of Bulgaria's 2026 state budget (criticized also by the EU).
The opposition coalition “We Continue the Change – Democratic Bulgaria” (PP-DB) organized a major demonstration that blocked traffic in the so-called… pic.twitter.com/S9yvsucB5K
— Ruslan Trad (@ruslantrad) November 26, 2025
The demonstrators believe that the institutions that manage public finances are obsolete and corrupt, their country being the poorest in the European Union. The budget would be definitively adopted in the plenary session during the first week of December. On January 1, Bulgaria will officially enter the euro zone.
Last week, the European Commission stated that the budget deficit in Bulgaria would reach 4.3% of GDP in 2027, under the effect of defense investments. During the presentation of the draft budget, the Bulgarian government stated that its priority remains “ensuring the long-term sustainability of public finances”, in compliance with European criteria.
Since January, Bulgaria is governed by a coalition between the conservative GERB party, socialists and the 'There is such a people' group.
According to the Transparency International index, Bulgaria is the most corrupt country in the European Union.
