Bulgaria's prime minister and government have resigned following mass anti-corruption protests. The Government's collapse came shortly before a vote of confidence was to be held in Parliament and just weeks before the country was set to join the eurozone at the beginning of January.

Prime Minister Rosen Zhelyazkov announced the decision in a televised statement just minutes before the vote. "We hear the voice of the citizens, we must rise to the demands," he said at an extraordinary session in the National Assembly. Both the young and the old raised their voices in favour of the resignation. This civic position must be encouraged.

"However, a challenge lies ahead: the protests must convey what the profile of the Government should be from this moment on

"Citizens must demand this from the leaders of the protest; this is a call for a Government that builds on the achievements of the previous ones, but through a good transition."

Bulgaria has been rocked by weeks of mass street demonstrations, with protesters accusing the Government of widespread corruption.

The latest protests had taken place just 24 hours earlier on Wednesday, when 10,000s of Bulgarians took to the streets.

In the capital Sofia, demonstrators gathered on a central square near the Parliament, Government and presidency buildings. They used lasers to project the words "Resignation", "Mafia Out" and "For Fair Elections" on the Parliament building.

As many as 150,000 protesters are believed to have attended the demonstration in the capital.

Protests also took place in over 25 major cities across the country, including Plovdiv, Varna, Veliko Tarnovo and Razgrad.

Public anger was sparked by the Government's 2026 Budget proposals, which included higher taxes, increased social security contributions and spending rises.

The protests forced the Government to back down and withdraw the Budget in a major humiliation for the Prime Minister.

Much of the protesters' anger was directed at Delyan Peevski, a Bulgarian politician and oligarch whose Movement for Rights and Freedoms (DPS) party supported the minority coalition Government.

Opponents accused Peevski of shaping Government policy to serve the interests of oligarchs.