Ahead of today’s no-confidence vote, the government is resigning. This was announced by Prime Minister Rosen Zhelyazkov in the corridors of the National Assembly, as reported by BTA.
“Our coalition met and discussed the current situation, the challenges we face, and the decisions we must responsibly take,” Zhelyazkov said. “We have no doubt that the government would receive support in the upcoming no-confidence vote. Nevertheless, the decisions of the National Assembly are significant when they reflect the will of the sovereign,” the Prime Minister noted.
“Our desire is to meet the expectations of society. Power stems from the sovereign and the voice of the people,” stated Rosen Zhelyazkov.
“Whether society itself, or civil society, realizes the challenges that it, and we as a function of that society, are facing is another question to be analyzed in the future,” Zhelyazkov said.
“Both young and old have called for the resignation,” the Prime Minister also said. This civic energy must be supported and encouraged, he further noted, as quoted by BTA.
“This cabinet was formed as a result of a complex coalition between parties that are diverse in their political nature but united by the goal and desire for Bulgaria to continue its European path of development, to be part of those European nations for which centuries of evolution have proven capable of building the most just and dignified union in the world—the European Union. Part of this challenge, to be a leading European state, was to complete the full cycle of our European membership by joining the eurozone,” Zhelyazkov said. He added that they promised macroeconomic stability and achieved it, evidenced by the assessment that the Maastricht criteria had been met.
“We promised and achieved unprecedented growth in budget revenues. We adopted and will implement the 2025 budget framework. We proposed a 2026 budget which, regardless of its diverse nature and various comments, was a budget for social protection and the benefits that Bulgarian citizens should have and maintain in the coming year. This includes not only preserving their purchasing power but increasing it,” the Prime Minister said.
According to him, all of this could not be explained, or their political opponents were unable to understand it. However, this is not a reproach to the protesters, as we realize that the protest was against overconfidence and arrogance; it was a protest assessing the way values, as understood in the democratic world, are upheld. This is not a social protest or one against a political opponent regarding policies, but rather about behavior and attitude. Therefore, it unites diverse and ideologically different components of Bulgarian society, Zhelyazkov pointed out.
“Moving forward, however, a great challenge lies ahead. Unfortunately, this challenge will not allow this government to lead the country through the first few months of 2026 in a stable manner, which only a government with accumulated experience and knowledge of the administration and its responsibilities could manage. Citizens seem to be overlooking this,” Zhelyazkov noted.
“The protests and demands must put forward their authentic proposals for how the country’s governance is envisioned during the transition to elections and after the 2026 elections, what the governance profile should be, and how the rights of citizens—which are very likely to shift from ethical to social—will be protected. Citizens must communicate this to the protest leaders,” Zhelyazkov stated.
“The transition must be guaranteed. And this must be said now, before the vote on the 2026 state budget. If the Parliament does not adopt the State Budget Act, the Social Security Budget Act, and the National Health Insurance Fund Budget Act by the end of this month, the government will submit an extension budget and fulfill its commitment,” Rosen Zhelyazkov added.
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