Krasimir Karakachanov's VMRO party fired back at GERB, DPS, and PPDB for calling protesters extremists, saying the actual destruction happened during years of corrupt backroom deals between those same groups. The statement claims PP-DB is trying to snake its way back into power by pretending it just wanted budget tweaks while secretly positioning itself to grab another slice of the grift, and young demonstrators saw through the whole charade.
VMRO insists the new generation wants a sovereign Bulgaria free from Brussels micromanagement and green deal nonsense rather than swapping one corrupt crew for another. Karakachanov argued protesters ignored Asen Vassilev's wimpy calls to chant budget slogans only because they're genuinely pissed...
European Chief Prosecutor Laura Kovesi is heading to Bulgaria for a Wednesday meeting with Justice Minister Georgi Georgiev about launching a new European Public Prosecutor's Office location in Sofia. Her office confirmed the trip after sources leaked the plans earlier.
Kovesi checked progress on renovations at 134 Rakovski Street during her previous visit, since that building will house all the delegated prosecutors. She wants everyone working under one roof to keep operations secure and streamlined.
The Joint Management Council called an emergency session at the National Assembly after the cabinet formally asked lawmakers to dump the 2026 state budget proposal, along with health insurance and social insurance spending plans. Parliament has to vote on pulling the bill since it already cleared first reading in the main chamber, and the smaller budget pieces made it through committee at second reading.
Government rules say whoever submits legislation can yank it before the initial vote starts, but after that point, only a full parliamentary decision works. The cabinet plans to launch a completely new budget process once deputies officially kill the current version.
Police grabbed over 70 people after Monday night's chaos in Sofia, but none were actual protesters. Authorities say the detained crew clashed with cops around Dondukov and Vasil Levski boulevards after 10 pm, and investigators are checking if someone torched an Energoto substation on purpose to stir things up. One detainee was a prominent businessman's kid who got caught shoving a flaming dumpster at officers.
Cops found another guy carrying over 30,000 leva split into different amounts, which looks like payment money for agitators. Some troublemakers apparently came from MECH and Velichy, the two smallest parliamentary groups.
The European Commission green-lit Bulgaria's third payment request under its Recovery and Resilience Plan, worth 1.6 billion euros, after the country knocked out 22 reforms and 19 investment projects covering digital upgrades, climate action, healthcare improvements, and business modernization. Bulgaria completed 48 out of 50 required benchmarks, which means most of the cash is ready to flow once the Economic and Financial Committee signs off within four weeks.
Two targets still need work, though: setting up an anti-corruption agency and passing laws about prosecuting the Prosecutor General. Brussels is holding back part of the payment until those get sorted, giving Bulgaria six months to fix things before releasing the remaining...
Bulgaria's cabinet wants parliament to officially kill the 2026 budget after massive street protests forced them to hit pause, but they can't actually pull it themselves since lawmakers already passed the first reading. Parliamentary rules say only a full assembly vote can withdraw legislation once it clears initial approval, and the fiscal framework plus health insurance pieces already made it through committee at second reading.
The government planned to restart everything with fresh revenue targets and spending plans before the January eurozone switchover, but that timeline is cooked since they need to draft completely new documents. The original proposal had a 3 percent deficit with higher pension contributions and doubled dividend...
Journalist Yovo Nikolov told morning TV that current demonstrations rival the massive 1997 anti-Videnov protests, but this time the crowd skews way younger, with families bringing small kids because grandparents were already there. He spotted one sign reading that introverts showed up because things got bad enough to drag them outside, and the packed streets felt completely different from 2013 or 2020 rallies since an entirely new generation is mobilizing.
Political analyst Georgi Harizanov said anger has expanded beyond budget complaints into broader frustration about government theft disguised as policy, pointing to 52 million lev withdrawn upfront for the Hemus highway as straight robbery rather than standard graft. Nikolov argued...
Vazrazhdane leader Kostadin Kostadinov wants demonstrations to keep rolling until the cabinet quits and voters get fresh elections, claiming hundreds of thousands hit the streets demanding resignations and jail time for corrupt officials. His party says Bulgaria has been run by shameless thieves for over three decades, and citizens got scammed enough times already.
Kostadinov pushed back against what he sees as the manipulation of protesters by establishment politicians, saying Bulgarians need to vote based on principles instead of handouts. He wrapped up by declaring the country needs a complete governmental reset.
Alpha Research sociologist Genoveva Petrova said Bulgarian protests usually force either coalition reshuffles or snap elections, and this wave will keep building unless somebody restructures power. Political scientist Maria Pirgova told state media the current government is cooked as a model and as ruling parties, while noticing tons of students and young people at demonstrations who represent a long-term appetite for systemic overhaul rather than just budget tweaks.
Professor Stoychev pointed out that many protesters never filed taxes or built anything substantial, suggesting organizers should have anticipated chaos when handing teenagers a list of prohibited actions. Pirgova thinks the opposition is moving slower than street-level...
