Thousands of Bulgarians Demand the Government to Step Down

Anti-government protests do not cease in Bulgaria. Opposition in parliament initiated a vote of no confidence in the government. The president compared the Council of Ministers with the mafia. The prime minister said he was open to dialogue. Anti-government protests in Bulgaria continue for several days. Thousands of people on Sunday, July 12, took to the streets of Sofia and several other cities, including Burgas, Varna and Plovdiv. Demonstrators shouted “Mafia” and “Resign”. Meanwhile, the opposition socialists in the Bulgarian parliament initiated a vote of no confidence in Prime Minister Boyko Borissov. It is expected to take place on July 15th. The leader of the Bulgarian Socialist Party, Korneliya Ninova, accused Borissov and his party Citizens for the European Development of Bulgaria in the “mafia-oligarchic” style of governance. The demonstrations were sparked on July 9 by raids on the presidential headquarters, which were caused by two separate probes into corruption and the disclosure of state secrets. The Anti-corruption secretary and presidential security advisor were detained for questioning. The head of state, Rumen Radev, claimed responsibility for the searches on the prime minister and urged ministers to resign, comparing the government with the mafia. In turn, Borissov said that he was open to dialogue and respected the right of everyone to protest. He called on the demonstrators “to be careful and not to let a single drop of blood spill during a peaceful protest,” noting that the rhetoric of hatred “will not lead to anything good”.