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Bulgaria rocked by protests as country draws close to Eurozone membership
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Bulgaria’s government withdrew an unpopular 2026 draft budget after tens of thousands of angry people took to the streets in the capital, Sofia, and other cities across the country.
The protests have been led mostly by young Bulgarians who claim the government is concealing widespread corruption. Business groups and members of the opposition also say the draft budget would harm Bulgaria’s economy just before it’s set to join the Eurozone in early 2026.
“Gen Z took to the streets because they want to stay in Bulgaria, but they want a renewed, different, corruption-free Bulgaria,” Daniel Lorer, member of Bulgaria’s parliament, told Fox News Digital.
BULGARIA’S SUPPORT FOR UKRAINE’S NATO MEMBERSHIP GROWS STRONGER DURING ZELENSKYY’S VISIT
A protester holds a placard bearing the logo of the popular Japanese manga One Piece, a symbol adopted by Gen Z protest movements worldwide, during an anti-government protest in Sofia on Dec. 1, 2025. Tens of thousands of people held anti-government protests in Bulgaria on Monday, widening an anti-corruption movement sweeping the European Union’s poorest country as it prepares to adopt the euro. (Nikolay Doychinov / AFP via Getty Images)
“They want reforms. The government refused to listen. The budget it proposed simply extended all its previous policies, funded through higher taxes, social security contributions and more debt,” Lorer added.
As the protests continued, Bulgaria’s government, led by Prime Minister Rosen Zhelyazkov, eventually backed down, vowing to drop the most divisive elements of the budget, including tax and social security increases.
The prime minister said a new budget will be proposed at a later date.
“The government saw what the citizens who protesters had to say…I support these people who protest for more rights, more democracy, more justice. We believe that the protest is not so much political, but more of a social, human side, in search of more dialogue, more tolerance, and more harmony in social relations,” Prime Minister Zhelyazkov said at a press conference.
“This is a visible protest of young people, young people who are looking for their place in the future of Bulgaria, which we are obliged to hear, and we are obliged to do what is necessary to be secured with the funds that the country has,” Zhelyazkov added.
The protests were mostly peaceful. However, some masked protesters clashed with police after attacking offices of the ruling party in Sofia.
BULGARIA IMPOSES EU ENTRY BAN ON 2 SUSPECTED RUSSIAN SPIES
Political stability in an EU country, one with a longstanding history with neighboring Russia, is ripe for Moscow’s usual tricks of intervening in the domestic affairs of its former communist bloc allies.
“Russia is always glad to stir unrest. Anything that upsets the democratic process in any EU country is welcome, and even more so in Eastern Europe, their former sphere of influence,” Lorer said.
Bulgarian President Rumen Radev, who holds a largely ceremonial position, sided with the opposition and opposed the budget, calling for the resignation of the government and early elections.
A protester pushes a burning garbage bin during scuffles with police at a demonstration organized by Bulgaria’s opposition PP-DB coalition against the proposed financial framework of the country’s budget, Sofia, Bulgaria, Dec. 1, 2025. (Dimitar Kyosemarliev/Reuters/File Photo)
The move could risk political gridlock and weaken Bulgaria’s alliance with NATO allies and the EU, Ruslan Stefanov, director for the Center for the Study of Democracy in Sofia, told Fox News Digital.
“Radev, who echoes Kremlin talking points and opposes the Euro, could still sabotage the process despite it being legally irreversible. This is a volatile mix that threatens stability and could invite more unwelcome Russian meddling,” Stefanov said.
Bulgaria, along with Romania, is set to join the Eurozone in January 2026. While joining the Eurozone is seen as a major step in Bulgaria’s political and economic development, the adoption of the currency is unpopular in large segments of society, as fears of inflation and the cost of living hamper the livelihoods of everyday Bulgarians.
FARMERS FLOOD BULGARIA’S CAPITAL PROTESTING EU REGULATIONS, HIGH ENERGY COSTS
Bulgaria, one of the poorest nations in the European Union, joined the EU in 2007 and formally began the process of joining the Eurozone in 2018. The Lev, Bulgaria’s currency, was included in the European Exchange Rate Mechanism in July 2020.
Russian President Vladimir Putin meets Russian delegation and some officials ahead of the Istanbul talks, on May 14, 2025 in Moscow, Russia. (Kremlin Press Office / Handout/Anadolu via Getty Images)
Since announcing that the country will join the monetary union, skepticism has abounded, and many Bulgarians are not convinced that their economic prospects will improve once they are part of the union.
Many experts and observers have concluded that Russia has been behind a persistent social media campaign to stoke opposition and sow doubt and confusion as Bulgaria’s accession date draws near.
More than 1,600 rescue workers have arrived and 25 flights filled with aid will land over the next day in Venezuela after earthquakes devastated the country on Wednesday, according to Venezuela’s vice minister of foreign affairs, Oliver Blanco.
World
American rescue teams pull infant alive from rubble in Venezuela days after devastating twin earthquakes
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American search-and-rescue teams pulled an infant alive from beneath the rubble in Venezuela days after the country’s devastating earthquakes, the U.S. Department of State said Saturday.
The State Department shared video on social media showing U.S. personnel pulling the infant from the rubble as rescue crews continued searching for survivors more than 72 hours after two powerful earthquakes struck the South American country.
The infant was 9 months old and was rescued along with her mother, the State Department told Fox News Digital. Both suffered only minor injuries, according to the rescue team.
“This heroic rescue was carried out in Catia La Mar by the Fairfax County Urban Search and Rescue team (USA-01), which deployed to Venezuela on June 26 following activation by the State Department,” a State Department spokesperson said.
TRUMP SAYS VENEZUELA EARTHQUAKES LEFT ‘DEVASTATING NUMBER OF DEATHS’ AS US READIES AID
American search-and-rescue teams rescued an infant trapped beneath the rubble following this week’s deadly earthquakes in Venezuela, according to the State Department. (Department of State)
The rescue comes as emergency crews race against time to locate survivors before the critical rescue window closes.
“Against impossible odds, hope endures,” the State Department posted on X.
“American search and rescue teams rescued an infant from beneath the rubble following the earthquake in Venezuela,” the post continued. “Every life saved is a victory.”
The White House also shared the video, calling it “America at its best.”
“Thank you to the American search and rescue teams providing assistance in Venezuela,” the White House wrote.
PLAYERS, FANS FLEE STADIUM AS POWERFUL EARTHQUAKES STRIKE DURING VENEZUELA BASEBALL GAME
Rescue workers search through the rubble three days after earthquakes struck Catia la Mar, Venezuela. (AP Photo/Fernando Vergara)
Round-the-clock rescue efforts have continued since magnitude 7.2 and 7.5 earthquakes struck Venezuela’s northern coast Wednesday.
As of Saturday evening, officials said the death toll from the twin earthquakes had reached 1,430.
Earlier Saturday, officials reported that 243 people had been rescued.
FORMER METS PITCHER NARROWLY ESCAPES DEATH IN VENEZUELA EARTHQUAKES THANKS TO ELEVATOR MALFUNCTION
Rescue personnel with a rescue dog assist in rescue efforts after earthquakes hit the country, in La Guaira, Venezuela, Saturday. (REUTERS/Leonardo Fernandez Viloria)
According to The Associated Press, more than 68,000 people remain missing across the country.
Aid groups consider the first 48 to 72 hours after a disaster to be the most critical window for finding survivors, though access to food and water can extend that period.
Venezuelan officials said 17 flights carrying more than 1,600 rescue personnel had arrived Saturday to assist with search-and-rescue efforts.
US RESCUE TEAMS TO DESCEND ON HARD-HIT CARIBBEAN AFTER CATASTROPHIC HURRICANE MELISSA’S IMPACT
Members of the County of Los Angeles Fire Department’s international urban search and rescue team (USA-2) prepare to leave for Venezuela, in Pacoima, Calif., on Thursday. (Blake Fagan/AFP via Getty Images)
Urban Search and Rescue (USAR) teams from Virginia, California and Florida were dispatched to Venezuela on Friday to help search collapsed buildings.
According to the State Department, the three USAR teams include 312 personnel and 18 canine teams, including firefighters, physicians, structural engineers and canine search specialists. The teams also deployed more than 200,000 pounds of specialized rescue equipment.
The Los Angeles County team includes 73 members equipped with concrete-breaking equipment and specialized listening devices used to detect survivors trapped beneath debris.
COLORADO AVALANCHE VICTIM RESCUED IN DRAMATIC VIDEO
Responders search for victims in a demolished building in Caracas, Venezuela, after a magnitude 7.2 earthquake and a 7.5 aftershock struck the region. (Jesus Vargas/Getty Images)
Rescuers have fanned out across La Guaira, where the worst destruction occurred, and parts of Caracas, where families and volunteers have spent days pulling survivors and victims from the rubble.
The United States has pledged $150 million in emergency assistance and support for international relief organizations responding to the disaster.
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Fox News Digital has reached out to the State Department for additional information on the rescue.
Fox News Digital’s James Cirrone, and The Associated Press and Reuters contributed to this report.
Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić announced on Saturday that he will resign in the coming weeks and called for early presidential and parliamentary elections.
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“I will be president for only a few weeks, and then I will resign,” Vučić told supporters at a rally in Belgrade. His second and final term was due to expire in mid-2027.
His remarks followed recent comments suggesting he could step down, amid speculation that he may seek a return as prime minister, a position he held from 2014 to 2017
It also follows a year and a half of student-led anti-corruption protests, triggered by the collapse of a railway station canopy in Novi Sad that killed 16 people. The protesters have been demanding early elections.
During his speech, Vučić said he would support his Serbian Progressive Party in the upcoming elections, including snap parliamentary polls originally scheduled for next year.
He did not provide a specific timeline for his resignation or for the dissolution of parliament, which is required before early legislative elections can be held.
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