In Brussels, several hundred Bulgarians gathered in protest, answering the call of the “Greatness” party, which organized a demonstration against Bulgaria’s planned eurozone accession and against corruption in the country. The action, staged in the heart of the Belgian capital, drew attention from both European and local observers. According to the organizers, the event aimed to raise alarm over what they view as a lack of transparency in the process and dissatisfaction with the latest eurozone convergence report.

The protest was led by Ivelin Mihaylov, head of the party, who had previously issued open invitations on social media urging Bulgarians across Europe to participate. Supporters of the party formed a motorcade before the demonstration, with Mihaylov stating that hundreds of vehicles had been painted in English for the campaign and had toured multiple countries prior to arriving in Brussels.

During the protest, participants carried posters and chanted slogans criticizing the European Union’s handling of Bulgaria’s euro accession. Mihaylov argued that Bulgarian citizens were being excluded from meaningful dialogue and warned of dire consequences if the euro is introduced without broad public readiness. He questioned the credibility of EU decision-making, likening the Bulgarian ruling elite to organized crime. “We haven’t seen the EU ask Cosa Nostra for economic reports to base decisions on,” he told Bulgarian National Radio, adding that Bulgaria was under the grip of a mafia more powerful than Italy’s.

Mihaylov also brought up environmental issues, claiming his team had documented 12,000 illegal landfills in Bulgaria, with an additional 8,000 pending verification. In contrast, he pointed out that Italy had been sanctioned for only 200 such sites. He expressed frustration that Bulgarian authorities had not received a hearing in Brussels to discuss the matter.

Speaking further, Mihaylov said the ruling class lacked the ability to address systemic problems. He pledged to expose “colossal frauds” and stressed that his movement’s primary goal was to eliminate mafia-style governance in Bulgaria. He welcomed the exit of figures like Boyko Borissov and Delyan Peevski from power and said that people like them should be held accountable.

Identifying himself as an entrepreneur who had never relied on state contracts or EU funding, Mihaylov claimed this gave him independence from corrupt structures. He accused parties like GERB and DPS of large-scale theft and predicted their eventual downfall. Velichie, he said, would work to take back every municipality and prevent local abuses, in part by launching community-based media outlets.

Mihaylov also announced future collaboration with Russian and Chinese media, asserting that Europe cannot claim to be democratic if it does not uphold its own laws. He questioned whether European institutions had the moral authority to criticize others.

When asked about political alliances, Mihaylov pointed to cooperation with MECH, a group he described as reliable and principled. He confirmed Velichie’s support for protests led by “Revival” but distanced himself from its leader Kostadin Kostadinov, claiming he is effectively part of the ruling establishment.

Who are "Greatness"