World
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.
Jan 19 (Reuters) – Three U.S. Catholic archbishops on Monday decried the direction of American foreign policy, saying the country’s “moral role in confronting evil around the world” was in question and that military action must only be used as an extreme last resort.
“In 2026, the United States has entered into the most profound and searing debate about the moral foundation for America’s actions in the world since the end of the Cold War,” the three highest-ranking U.S. Catholic archbishops said in a rare joint statement.
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“The events in Venezuela, Ukraine and Greenland have raised basic questions about the use of military force and the meaning of peace,” the clerics said.
The joint statement did not directly name Trump. The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Saying that the U.S. needs a “genuinely moral foreign policy,” the archbishops renounced “war as an instrument for narrow national interests” and said that “military action must be seen only as a last resort in extreme situations, not a normal instrument of national policy.”
Reporting by Bhargav Acharya in Toronto; Editing by Caitlin Webber and Bill Berkrot
Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.
World
Iranian soldier sentenced to death for refusing to fire on protesters during nationwide unrest
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A young soldier who refused to obey orders to shoot protesters during one of Iran’s most intense waves of nationwide unrest has been sentenced to death, a human rights group reported Tuesday.
The Iran Human Rights Society (IHRS) identified the soldier as Javid Khales, who was arrested during the nationwide protests of 1404, a major wave of anti-regime demonstrations from late 2025 to early 2026 calling for an end to the country’s current dictatorship.
“According to informed sources, when faced with the command to shoot at protesting people, he refused to execute the order, leading to his immediate arrest and the opening of a case against him,” IHRS said.
Witnesses claimed Khales, now in Isfahan prison, did not commit a crime but refused to shoot in an act of humanity, the group said.
LINDSEY GRAHAM SPEAKS AGAINST PENDING EXECUTION OF 26-YEAR-OLD IRANIAN PROTESTER: ‘THIS REGIME MUST FALL’
Iranian security forces escalated from pellet guns to live ammunition during protests. (Getty)
While the unrest has already led to thousands of arrests and deaths among protesters, Khales’ planned execution further raises concerns over unfair, state-sanctioned killings and rushed trials that deny defendants proper legal protections.
“Amid the continuation of protests and the intensification of deadly repression against the people, the news of Javid Khales — a young soldier who refused to shoot at protesters — being sentenced to death has heightened concerns about a new wave of judicial massacre,” the human rights group said.
“This sentence comes at a time when judiciary officials have openly spoken of summary trials and the swift execution of death sentences against those arrested in the protests.”
IRAN ACCUSED OF KILLING 16,500 IN SWEEPING ‘GENOCIDE’ CRACKDOWN: REPORT
The death toll from Iranian protests rises as hundreds are allegedly killed by government forces. (MAHSA/Middle East Images/AFP via Getty Images)
A judiciary spokesperson and the Tehran prosecutor, in separate statements, emphasized that cases involving dissidents must be resolved as quickly as possible, IHRS reported, raising concerns that executions could take place outside proper legal procedures. Human rights sources say many detainees have remained in custody without access to a lawyer or a fair trial.
The organization added that Khales’ death sentence is seen as part of a broader effort to instill fear, “enforce absolute obedience and intensify protest repression.”
In this frame grab from video obtained by the AP outside Iran, a masked demonstrator holds a picture of Iran’s Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi during a protest in Tehran, Iran, Jan. 9, 2026. (UGC via AP)
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Over the past several days, the government shut down and restricted the internet nationwide to prevent protesters from organizing. Human rights activists say the blackout was also a strategic move to conceal the realities on the ground and suppress public reaction.
Precise details were unavailable regarding Khales’ case, his current status or the judicial process.
DEVELOPING STORYDEVELOPING STORY,
Published On 21 Jan 2026
Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has accepted an invitation from United States President Donald Trump to join the “board of peace”.
The Israeli leader’s office announced on social media on Wednesday that Netanyahu is to join the initiative, despite the fact that it was unveiled as part of phase two of the ceasefire agreement with Hamas to end Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza.
Numerous world leaders have been invited to join the body, which Trump envisages would oversee “governance capacity-building, regional relations, reconstruction, investment attraction, large-scale funding, and capital mobilisation” in the enclave.
However, Netanyahu’s participation will add to concerns over the objectivity of the board, which will be led by, and its lineup controlled by, Trump.
More to come …
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