Bulgarian Prime Minister Rosen Zhelyazkov handed in his government's resignation on Thursday (December 11) following weeks of street protests over its economic policies and its perceived failure to tackle corruption.

Zhelyazkov announced his resignation in a televised statement minutes before parliament was due to vote on a no-confidence motion.

The resignation comes shortly before Bulgaria is due to join the euro zone on January 1.

Thousands of Bulgarians rallied on Wednesday (December 10) evening in Sofia and dozens of other towns and cities across the Black Sea nation, the latest in a series of rolling demonstrations that have underlined public frustration with endemic graft and the failure of successive governments to root it out.

Last week, Zhelyazkov's government withdrew its 2026 budget plan, the first drafted in euros, due to the protests. Opposition parties and other organisations said they were protesting against plans to hike social security contributions and taxes on dividends to finance higher state spending.

DESCRIPCIÓN DE IMÁGENES

SOFIA, BULGARIA (DECEMBER 11, 2025) (REUTERS-Access all)

1. VARIOUS OF EXTERIOR OF BULGARIAN PARLIAMENT

2. BULGARIAN FLAG WAVING

3. MEMBERS OF PARLIAMENT ARRIVING FOR NO-CONFIDENCE VOTE

4. LEADER OF REVIVAL PARTY KOSTADIN KOSTADINOV ARRIVING

5. LEADER OF MRF NEW BEGINNING PARTY DELYAN PEEVSKI ARRIVING AND TAKING SEAT

6. MPS OF PPDB, ASSEN VASSILEV AND NIKOLAI DENKOV STANDING

7. VARIOUS OF MPS IN PARLIAMENT

SOFIA, BULGARIA (DECEMBER 11, 2025) (NOVA TV-No use Bulgaria)

8. BULGARIAN PRIME MINISTER ROSEN ZHELYAZKOV ARRIVING

9. (SOUNDBITE) (Bulgarian) BULGARIAN PRIME MINISTER, ROSEN ZHELYAZKOV, SAYING:

"We have no doubt that in the upcoming vote of no confidence, for the sixth time, the government will receive support and the vote will not pass. Nevertheless, for us, the decisions of the National Assembly have meaning only when they express the will of the sovereign. It is no coincidence that the Romans said 'vox populi, vox Dei'.

10. WHITE FLASH

11. (SOUNDBITE) (Bulgarian) BULGARIAN PRIME MINISTER, ROSEN ZHELYAZKOV, SAYING:

"Therefore, I inform you that before the vote of no confidence, today the government resigns."

/ ZHELYAZKOV LEAVING

SOFIA, BULGARIA (DECEMBER 11, 2025) (REUTERS-Access all)

12. SCREEN SHOWING 108 MPS PRESENT OUT OF 240, SO NO QUORUM WAS REACHED

13. VARIOUS OF MPS LEAVING PLENARY HALL