In mid-December, Prime Minister Rosen Zhelyazkov announced a departure only minutes before a vote could remove the government from power.
On the night before the announcement, a vast crowd of citizens filled the streets of Sofia to project laser messages reading “Mafia Out” onto public buildings.
Students left lecture halls and pensioners arrived from villages to join a movement organised by diaspora communities across Austria, Belgium, and the Czech Republic.
Although the cabinet survived for under a year, the country joins the eurozone only a few weeks later.
The Mandated Currency
According to recent polls, half of the people oppose the change as food costs rose during November at a pace double the average found elsewhere in Europe.
Shopkeepers in small villages report confusion as dual pricing arrives, while Boryana Dimitrova from Alpha Research warns that households with low savings expect to become poorer.
The administration withdrew the next budget after a plan for tax increases met resistance from the public.
While European Central Bank President Christine Lagarde predicted a small increase in consumer costs, such assurances do not soothe people who lived through hyperinflation decades ago.
Average wages stay near a thousand euros a month as millions of Bulgarians seek futures abroad, and although parliament set up oversight bodies to watch for price spikes, families see buying power vanish.
Foreign Digital Presence
The Revival party earned a large share of votes by running a campaign on TikTok.
Younger crowds find news on social media where influencers position channels as a way to hear voices missing from television, often talking about global wars and providing competition to old media outlets.
Revival leader Kostadin Kostadinov visited Moscow after receiving invitations from Putin’s party, as the group wants a vote on leaving NATO and supports Russian energy interests.
Supporters occupied the central bank and attacked the Brussels offices.
After a recount, the Constitutional Court granted a group of seats to the Velichie party despite evidence of forged votes. Smaller factions collaborate with Russian actors by using long-standing and religious connections.
The Selective Gaze of Brussels
Ursula von der Leyen travelled to Sofia to support the GERB party, and backing from the European Union empowered Boyko Borissov despite a record of resigning after protests.
The government acts with support from Delyan Peevski, a man sanctioned by the United States and the United Kingdom for corruption.
Citizens claim an oligarch manages policy for private profit, but Brussels remains quiet about the power he holds as the opposition withdrew from talks over poor legal reforms.
Parliament recently voted to change how intelligence heads are chosen to bypass the president, which concentrates authority.
Integration as a Strategic Anchor
The state entered the euro waiting room years ago because supporters said businesses would save money on fees.
However, the new currency acts as a strategic anchor since Germany pushed the switch to bind the state into a western alliance.
Military spending increases as the state buys jets and ships, while funds for schools and clinics fall. Georgi Angelov stated the state needs long stability to see gains, but many elections have occurred lately and another vote arrives in the future.
The Illusion of Choice
President Rumen Radev proposed a public vote on the euro, but parliament blocked the idea. Radev keeps popularity by repeating Russian points, even though the local currency has been tied to the euro for years.
The official change at the start of the year triggers new political fights. Protesters demanded fair elections recently as civil groups joined student leaders.
New coins feature an ancient knight over a lion, but symbols provide little help as economic power moves through hidden ways.
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