Bulgarian lawmakers voted overwhelmingly to pull back the draft state budget for 2026, along with the financial plans for the National Health Insurance Fund and the State Social Insurance system. The motion, initiated by “There Is Such a People” (TISP), secured 201 votes in favor and was backed across the political spectrum. Only the “Greatness” party declined to participate in the vote.

At the start of the sitting, MPs from "We Continue the Change-Democratic Bulgaria" (WCC-DB) and "Revival" insisted that Finance Minister Temenuzka Petkova appear in the chamber to explain why the budget procedure had fallen apart. The request was rejected by Kostadin Angelov, who was chairing the session, arguing that the proposal originated from TISP and did not legally require a minister's presence. WCC-DB’s Asen Vasilev criticized the majority for abandoning what they had recently described as the “only possible budget”, while Martin Dimitrov added that even a revised plan would not address structural spending issues, warning that public trust in the government was eroding.

"Morality, Unity, Honor" (MECH) also opposed the way the budget process was handled. Nikolay Radulov argued that the financial framework would inevitably need correction and questioned whether the current cabinet should remain in charge, suggesting that Interior Minister Daniel Mitov should step down over police inaction during recent unrest in central Sofia.

During the second debate on the withdrawal, MPs again approved the move with 201 votes. None of the representatives of the ruling majority took the floor. Opposition speakers repeatedly pointed to the large-scale protests held in Sofia and regional cities as the trigger for retracting the 2026 budget and the accompanying “small budgets”. Asen Vasilev described the demonstrations as the biggest since 1990, insisting the government had been forced to reconsider its stance and urging the cabinet to resign rather than wait for a no-confidence vote.

Further reading: More Than a Budget Crisis: Bulgaria's Gen-Z Demands a Political Reckoning

Radulov reiterated his call for Interior Minister Mitov’s removal, linking it to the failure to address vandalism during the protests. From "Revival", Dimo Drenchev welcomed the withdrawal but argued the proposals should never have reached parliament in the first place. He also expressed doubt that Minister Petkova’s team would be the one to prepare the next draft, implying the possibility of early elections.

The final vote saw support from across all parliamentary groups: 62 MPs from GERB, 31 from WCC-DB, 33 from Revival, 25 from DPS-New Beginning, 16 from BSP-United Left, 16 from TISP, 5 from the Alliance for Rights and Freedoms, 9 from MECH and four independents. The proposal had been formally submitted on 2 December by Kostadin Angelov, Dragomir Stoynev and Toshko Yordanov.

Following the withdrawal, Boyko Borissov stated that all contentious parts of the budget had been addressed and that the government would begin drafting a new version. Meanwhile, WCC-DB announced that they would table a no-confidence motion against Prime Minister Rosen Zhelyazkov’s cabinet by the end of the week, accusing it of a complete breakdown in governance. Zhelyazkov said he was prepared to debate the motion.