Zhelyazkov’s Resignation Caps Weeks of Unrest and Opens a New Chapter in Bulgaria’s Power Struggle

Prime Minister of Bulgaria, Rosen Zhelyazkov, announced his government’s resignation on Thursday during an unexpected press briefing, bringing an end to months of political tension and two weeks of mass demonstrations across the Balkan country. The decision came shortly after parliament postponed a scheduled vote of no confidence tabled by the opposition coalition "We Continue the Change-Democratic Bulgaria" (WCC-DB) and supported by the Alliance for Rights and Freedoms (APS) and "Morality, Unity, Honor" (MECH).

The no confidence vote was set for 1:30 p.m., but a thirty minute break was requested by "There Is Such a People" (TISP). Zhelyazkov (GERB) spoke soon after, saying the resignation was a direct response to the public pressure that had grown steadily since early November.

According to him, the protesters represented a broad cross section of Bulgarian society, and their shared demand for the government to step down had become impossible to ignore. He described the demonstrations as a reaction to arrogance in power, insisting they were not driven by social grievances but by a sense of violated public values.

Minutes after the resignation was delivered in parliament, Speaker Raya Nazaryan put to a vote the no confidence motion submitted on Friday. It failed, with 106 votes in favor and none against or abstaining. The resignation still requires formal approval in the National Assembly. If accepted, President Rumen Radev will begin a new round of consultations with the political parties in order to assign the first mandate for forming a government to GERB. Should GERB fail, the second mandate would go to WCC-DB, while the third would be given at the president’s discretion.

The protests erupted following the introduction of the 2026 draft budget, which was later withdrawn. It proposed higher taxes and social security contributions for the private sector, as well as increased public spending. Although the government reversed course, demonstrations intensified and broadened into calls for a complete shift in Bulgaria’s governance model.

Zhelyazkov’s government had been in office since early 2025 with backing from GERB, BSP, TISP and Ahmed Dogan’s political group. Dogan’s withdrawal of support, accompanied by accusations that GERB was acting in the interest of Delyan Peevski, changed the balance in parliament. Peevski (DPS-New Beginning) repeatedly said he would continue supporting the cabinet until the end of its term.

A Market Links survey released earlier Thursday indicated that the protests were affecting public support for GERB. According to the poll, 81 percent of Bulgarians believed the demonstrations were targeting the leadership of DPS-New Beginning and GERB, represented by Delyan Peevski and Boyko Borissov, who have both faced corruption sanctions. Eighty two percent of respondents favored a change in the country’s governance model.

Later in the afternoon, Zhelyazkov reaffirmed that his cabinet had entered office with the ambition to keep Bulgaria on its European course. He warned that the coming months would be turbulent and would make it difficult for any government to govern peacefully at the beginning of 2026. He urged protest leaders to articulate a clear vision for the country during the transition period, especially if parliament fails to adopt the state, health insurance and NHIF budgets by the end of the month. He ended his statement with the words “Today I resign.” The resignation was then registered in the National Assembly. The cabinet will continue performing its duties until a new Council of Ministers is elected.

Political reactions to the resignation

GERB leader Boyko Borissov declared that there would be no reformatting of the current arrangement and that he would not allow anyone to take advantage of GERB. He said the party would not be responsible for drafting a budget and would instead focus on limiting price increases. He argued that those protesting had never been involved in major national decisions and criticized WCC-DB for failing to act over several years. The country's eurozone progress and the convergence report, he said, had been secured by Zhelyazkov’s government.

Borissov also warned that Bulgaria faced geopolitical risks and revisited allegations involving President Rumen Radev, Asen Vassilev and Nikolai Denkov, pointing to financial losses and energy sector issues. He vowed that GERB would now act as a strong opposition and attempt to win the next elections. At one point, he reflected on international developments and stated that his predictions about global events had come true.

He criticized Ivaylo Mirchev of "Yes, Bulgaria" (party of WCC-DB), while insisting that GERB had maintained a respectable tone during the crisis. Borissov stressed that the party’s members were proud of their work and deserved recognition for securing critical supplies such as gas and oil. He added that the administration was unwilling to function under a resigned cabinet and repeated that GERB would not enter another variation of the previous coalition format.

WCC co-chair Asen Vassilev thanked the citizens who protested, describing the resignation as the first step toward a normal European political environment. He emphasized the need for fair elections.

Yes, Bulgaria co-chair Ivaylo Mirchev said the current parliament should not form any new governing configuration and that early elections were the only path forward. He promised increased monitoring to safeguard the vote. Bozhidar Bozhanov added that parties enabling Peevski’s continued influence were responsible for the government’s eventual delegitimization.

DPS–New Beginning leader Delyan Peevski said Bulgaria must remain a social state and claimed that responsibility now lay with what he called the “Soros coalition”. He insisted that the political winner was someone else and should step forward.

"Revival" leader Kostadin Kostadinov congratulated citizens and called for rapid movement through the constitutional mandate procedure so that elections can be held by late winter or spring.

Stanislav Balabanov of TISP said their party had listened to the public. He blamed several political figures for creating instability and predicted that the consequences would be felt by everyone.

MECH leader Radostin Vassilev urged the elimination of paper ballots and the introduction of fully machine-based voting to prevent vote buying and ensure that protesters’ votes are counted fairly.

Further reactions

Later in the day, Borissov appeared again, thanking the protestors and saying their actions had worked in his favor. He insisted GERB would not join any new arrangement with WCC, declaring that the party would focus on being a strong opposition. He repeated that the government’s achievements were significant and criticized several political opponents once more. He said the protesters had effectively strengthened GERB’s future electoral position.

Meanwhile, Ivaylo Mirchev argued in a television interview that the government had fallen because of public pressure, not because of opposition parties. He warned that the resignation was only the beginning and that the dismantling of what he called the Peevski–Borissov model required active public participation in the upcoming elections. He said 160 parliamentary votes would be necessary to carry out judicial reform, appoint a new prosecutor general and rebuild institutional integrity. According to him, Peevski and Borissov were regrouping and preparing to influence the next caretaker government.

Mirchev urged citizens not to become complacent and insisted that the protests must be followed by high turnout in the elections. He said his party would fight to secure a mandate that allows for deeper reform and that breaking Bulgaria out of its current political cycle cannot be done without significant institutional changes.