Bulgarian government withdraws 2026 budget draft after mass protests
Wednesday's protest in Sofia against Bulgaria's draft budget plan for 2026 drew an estimated 20,000 people, who demonstrated against a potential increase in social security contributions and the doubling of the dividend tax.
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00:00A controversial new budget draft was withdrawn on Thursday morning after thousands of protesters took to the streets of Safia to oppose it the night before.
00:10The government had proposed to increase social security contributions and double dividend taxes in an ambitious new budget,
00:17which would have set a new spending record at around 46% of GDP, as well as dramatically increase public debt.
00:24Wednesday evening's rally was organized by the opposition coalition and is estimated to have drawn around 20,000 people.
00:33Protesters gathered outside the National Assembly building, where lawmakers convened to examine the proposed budget.
00:39They formed a massive human chain around the parliament building in an effort to block all exit and prevent MPs from leaving the premises.
00:48Police say the protests, which were declared as peaceful, quickly escalated and turned violent,
00:53announcing that three police officers were injured.
00:57Authorities say some protesters threw firecrackers and glass bottles at deployed officers and attempted to overturn a police van.
01:05The protests came ahead of a final parliamentary vote to gain approval,
01:09and just a few weeks before the Balkan nation is set to enter the Eurozone.
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