President Rumen Radev issued an urgent appeal on social media late this evening, demanding the resignation of the government and the scheduling of early parliamentary elections. His statement came as protests unfolded nationwide and as confrontations intensified in central Sofia. Radev described the scenes in the capital as a deliberate attempt by what he termed the mafia to engineer a clash between demonstrators and the police. He insisted that the unfolding violence was not the result of tensions between citizens and law enforcement but a planned provocation aimed at undermining the public’s message.

Further reading: Paid Provocateurs Disrupt Peaceful Sofia Protest in Staged Confrontation with Police (VIDEO)

In his post, the president stressed that the unrest should cease immediately and urged everyone present to respect the law. He warned that efforts to provoke conflict did not alter what he sees as the clear stance expressed by many Bulgarians who have rejected the current administration.

Further reading: Bulgaria’s Cities Fill With Tens of Thousands of Protesters in the Largest Push Yet Against Budget 2026

Radev reiterated that, in his view, the country is left with a single viable solution: the cabinet’s resignation followed by early elections. He framed this as the only democratic exit from the deepening crisis.

Desislava Radeva, the president’s wife, also reacted to the situation. In her own online post, she shared a video from the protest area near the Triangle of Power in Sofia and expressed concern that the demonstration must not become, in her words, "another audition for those seeking political authority". She, too, highlighted the seriousness of the moment and the need to prevent the escalation from being exploited for political gain.

Radev’s repeated message was that the violent incidents should not overshadow what he believes is a decisive public rejection of the government. According to the president, the events of the evening only reinforce the need for a swift political reset through resignation and snap elections.