Thousands Gather in Bulgaria as “Great People’s Uprising” Approaches

Protestors congregate in Sofia, Bulgaria, in July. (Wikimedia Commons)

Bulgarian citizens gathered in front of the National Assembly in Bulgaria in protest of corruption in the government and announced the impending third “Great People’s Uprising” on September 22. 

This uprising approaches after weeks of anti-government protests that started on July 9. Bulgarian politics has been rife with scandals. In June, controversial photographs emerged of Bulgarian Prime Minister Boyko Borissov sleeping beside a gun and stacks of cash. Shortly after, back-to-back scandals caused an outcry against the government, the first involving National Security Service guards (NSS) who protected Bulgarian oligarch Ahmed Dogan despite constitutional law that requires the NSS only protect state leaders. The other involved extortion deals between the senior magistrates and small businesses covered by the Anti-Corruption Fund. Most recently, public prosecutors initiated a raid that led to the arrest of two officials from the presidential administration. 

These scandals contributed to the declining public opinion of the government, eventually culminating in a spontaneous protest in front of the presidential administration’s building on July 9. 

The protests have continued for several weeks as tensions between the police and protesters escalate. As protesters pelted government buildings with eggs, apples, and trash, police officers arrested over 60 people in the first week of September. Both sides suffered injuries. 

Defense Minister Krasimir Karakachanov criticized the protesters’ actions as “organized, deliberate attacks” in a Facebook post. However, Bulgarian President Rumen Radev sided with the protesters, calling on Borissov to resign as prime minister.

Bulgaria’s corruption has been a constant issue within the country. The Corruption Perception Index of 2019 from Transparency International, a German non-governmental organization, listed Bulgaria as the most corrupt nation in the EU. 

When asked how Bulgaria could improve, a protester responded, “I feel like they have been very complicit when it comes to Borissov. He is very convenient for everybody. He is not like Viktor Orban or the Polish Prime Minister. He is not causing trouble. He is always agreeing with every proposal that comes from Brussels. So that is why he is very convenient for them.” 

Despite the tension and demonstrations within Bulgaria, these protests have largely flown under the radar of major European news organizations. 

“We should pay more attention to states such as Bulgaria during the German presidency of the Council of the EU,” Detlef Müller, the German Social Democratic Party’s deputy democracy policy spokesman, said. “I would like to see this issue raised by the German government at meetings of EU leaders or ministers. It is important that basic European principles are respected by all member states.”