In November and December, hundreds of thousands of Bulgarians took to the streets across the country in some of the largest protests in 35 years.

On December 12, the government resigned. 

People have been accusing the government — led by a minority coalition headed by the conservative center-right party under Prime Minister Rosen Zhelyazkov — of systemic corruption and disregard for the rule of law. 

This comes just weeks before Bulgaria is scheduled to join the eurozone on January 1, 2026. 

Unlike previous rallies, the anti-corruption protests of the past two weeks have been driven by Generation Z, whose frustration with politics has moved from social media feeds to the streets.