The Bulgarian government has officially withdrawn the 2026 budget after new large street protests
Protests that degenerated in the capital of Bulgaria, Sofia. Photo: STR/NurPhoto / Shutterstock Editorial / Profimedia
The Bulgarian government decided to withdraw the draft budget for 2026 following widespread street demonstrations, which were some of the biggest protests in decades, according to Novinite.
The Sofia executive also announced that the budgets for the State Social Insurance (SSI) and the National Health Insurance Fund (NHIF) will also be withdrawn.
The decision comes after mass protests broke out across the country on Monday night, with demonstrators criticizing the draft budget for raising taxes and social security contributions for the private sector while allocating more funds to the state sector.
Tens of thousands of participants gathered in the capital Sofia, and significant demonstrations took place in other major cities, such as Varna, Plovdiv, Burgas, Stara Zagora, Dobrich, Sliven, Veliko Tarnovo, Shumen, Ruse, Lovech, Blagoevgrad and Gotse Delchev. The protesters demanded the resignation of the Government.
Critics of the draft budget believe that the management of public finances is so corrupt that the measures would only strengthen the corruption.
Parliament has been notified of the withdrawal of budgets, and the government will initiate a new budget procedure.
Finance Minister Temenuzhka Petkova has scheduled talks with unions and employers to adjust the budget for next year, the source said.
With Bulgaria's entry into the euro area on January 1, this budget will be the first to be calculated in euros.
