In Bulgaria, an Eastern European country, large-scale protests by Generation Z (born in the mid-1990s to early 2000s) led to the prime minister's resignation. This is the first case in Europe of a government collapsing due to Generation Z's anti-government protests.
On the 11th (local time), according to the BBC and others, Prime Minister Rosen Zhelyazkov of Bulgaria expressed an intention to resign ahead of a parliamentary vote on a no-confidence motion submitted by the opposition. In a televised address, Zhelyazkov said, "We are listening to the voices of citizens protesting against the government."
With the collapse of the pro-European Union (EU) Zhelyazkov cabinet, Bulgaria is increasingly likely to hold early parliamentary elections within the coming months. Under Bulgaria's constitution, President Rumen Radev must ask parties in parliament to form a new government; if that process fails, the president appoints a caretaker government to run the country until new elections are held. There is speculation that this crisis, unfolding as Bulgaria prepares to join the eurozone, could reshape the country's geopolitical alignment.
The immediate trigger for the protests was the government's 2026 budget plan. The plan included a hike in social security contributions, drawing criticism that it would allow corrupt politicians to tighten their grip on state institutions. Bulgaria ranks among the most corrupt EU member states in Transparency International's Corruption Perceptions Index (TI).
The budget plan ignited anger among Generation Z and led to mass anti-government protests. Since late November, signs reading "Generation Z is coming" and "Gen Z vs. corruption" have appeared as demonstrations led by Generation Z spread, and on the 1st of this month a large rally drawing up to 100,000 people was held in Sofia, the Bulgarian capital. In response, the Bulgarian government ultimately withdrew the budget plan that included raising social security contributions.
However, the protests did not stop even after the budget withdrawal. Accumulated frustration with a corrupt government and concerns that prices could rise after the euro's introduction scheduled for Jan. 1 next year further fueled public anger. Ivailo Mirchev, a lawmaker with the opposition coalition "We Continue the Change," wrote on social media (SNS) early this month, "The people taking to the streets are the younger generation, and they want their future and will not settle for fake."
Dimitar Keranov, a Bulgaria-born analyst at the think tank German Marshall Fund (GMF), told the New York Times (NYT), "The protests may have started over budget issues, but in reality they are an effort to expose the substance of corruption within the government," adding, "This is ultimately a path that serves the public interest."
The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reported, "For many, these protests were the first mass demonstrations of their lives," adding, "Bulgaria's Generation Z grew up without directly experiencing the communist era that ended in 1989 or the severe economic crisis that followed its collapse. Their grievances range widely, from political elites who go unpunished despite corruption to a weak health care system and a lack of quality jobs."
Bulgaria is not the only place where large, Generation Z–led anti-government protests have erupted recently. Protests led by Generation Z began in Asia, including Indonesia and Nepal, spread through South America, and reached Africa, including Madagascar and Morocco. In Nepal and Madagascar, such anti-government protests actually brought down governments.
Martin Vladimirov, director of the Sofia-based think tank "Center for the Study of Democracy," said, "These protests show that young people have more than enough power to stand up to the wrongdoing of entrenched political and economic power holders."