Bulgaria’s government stepped down on Thursday as mass protests swept the country, coming just weeks before its planned entry into the eurozone.

The minority coalition, led by the center-right GERB party, submitted its resignation minutes before parliament was set to vote on a no-confidence motion brought by the opposition over economic mismanagement and deep public frustration over corruption.

“Ahead of today’s vote of no confidence, the government is resigning,” Prime Minister Rosen Zhelyazkov told reporters in parliament.

The latest demonstrations erupted after large protests last week against the government’s proposed 2026 budget, which included higher taxes, increased social security contributions and expanded spending. The government later withdrew the budget plan, but calls for its resignation intensified.

Zhelyazkov acknowledged the pressure from the streets, saying, “The decisions of the National Assembly are meaningful when they reflect the will of the people. We want to be where society expects us to be.”

Students from Sofia’s universities joined Wednesday’s rallies, which organizers said exceeded last week’s turnout of more than 50,000 people. Media outlets, citing drone footage, estimated the crowd at over 100,000.

Tens of thousands protest against Bulgarian government over corruption

Central to the public anger is the influence of Delyan Peevski, a sanctioned politician and oligarch whose MRF New Beginning party backs the government. Opponents accuse him of steering government policy to serve oligarchic interests.

Zhelyazkov said he expected his coalition to survive the no-confidence vote but added that parliament’s decisions “are important when they reflect the will of the sovereign.”

Bulgaria, a country of 6.4 million people, is scheduled to adopt the euro on January 1 and become the 21st member of the eurozone.