Zhelyazkov’s government had already survived five votes of no confidence and was expected to get through a sixth on Thursday.
Many of the protesters have been angered by the roles of two figures, oligarch Delyan Peevski and ex-prime minister Boyko Borissov, and Wednesday’s rally was organised under the slogan “Resignation! Peevski and Borissov Out of Power”, Bulgaria’s BTA news agency reported.
Peevski has been sanctioned by the US and UK for alleged corruption and his party has helped prop up the government.
Borissov is part of Zhelyazkov’s Gerb party, which came first in October 2024 elections, and he was reported to have said on Wednesday that the coalition parties had agreed to remain in power until Bulgaria joined the eurozone on 1 January.
Borissov was prime minister when anti-corruption protests brought down his government in 2020 and there have been seven elections since.
Despite the political drama in Sofia, Bulgaria’s move to join the euro is not seen as under threat.
In his resignation statement, the outgoing prime minister said Bulgaria faced a major challenge and its citizens would need to produce “authentic proposals” on what the next government should look like.
Bulgaria ranks among the lowest in Europe in Transparency International’s index for public sector corruption, between Hungary and Romania.
