A group of protesters gathered at an improvised rally in front of the National Assembly building in Sofia, demanding the resignation of Bulgaria's Finance Minister Vladislav Goranov.

The protest was sparked by the adamant intentions of Goranov to push through Parliament controversial amendments to the Social Insurance Act that would require employees to transfer their pension contributions paid into privately-owned pension funds to the state-run solidarity insurance fund NOI in a one-off move without an option to switch back.

Throughout Friday information about the intentions of GERB party, the bigger partner in Bulgaria's minority coalition government which has proposed the changes, has been contradictory.

At first GERB said they were going to postpone the voting of the draft amendments until March next year. Later, however, Goranov said the voting at second and final reading will take place on Friday, as initially planned.