Why is there a protest today on 26 november in sofia, Bulgaria?

1. Opposition mobilises against the 2026 budget — theatrical stake in Parliament

Continue the Change – Democratic Bulgaria (CC–DB) has organised a protest against the proposed 2026 budget for the evening of 26 November, with the party framing the action as a bid to block a budget it says could be used for “theft” by those in power; BTA notes CC–DB will stage a peaceful protest and intends to block Parliament so MPs “hear what the Bulgarian people think” ^{[1] [4]}. Fakti.bg also notes an evening 18:00 protest and that the parliamentary Budget Committee hearing earlier in the day will be broadcast on a screen in front of the National Assembly ^[2].

2. Public-sector wage unrest is running in parallel — unions on the streets

Separate but concurrent, public-sector workers staged nationwide protests on 26 November demanding higher wages: the Confederation of Independent Trade Unions in Bulgaria (CITUB) called for a 10% horizontal pay rise across public administration and transport sectors and gathered in central Sofia, while other state-administration groups (employment, labour inspectorate, social assistance) have union-led actions mentioned by Fakti.bg and Novinite ^{[3] [2]}. Novinite’s reporting describes colourful street imagery — “budget” Santa Claus and Snow White — underlining the unions’ theatrical approach to draw attention ^[3].

3. Multiple agendas — nationalism, judicial cases and North Macedonia tensions also present

Media roundups show other actors using 26 November for distinct demands: Fakti.bg reports VMRO plans to press for protection of ethnic Bulgarians’ rights in North Macedonia following an attack on a journalist, and other parties have separate motives for appearing outside Parliament ^[2]. Recent weeks have also seen protests linked to judicial controversies and detentions of opposition figures (Continue the Change members), which have previously drawn protests in Sofia and remained part of the political backdrop ^{[5] [1]}.

4. Political framing and counter-claims — eurozone entry, accusations of sabotage

Coverage highlights competing political frames. GERB leader Boyko Borissov publicly accused CC–DB of trying to sabotage Bulgaria’s entry to the eurozone and argued that protests won’t stop the process; CC–DB counters that their mobilisations target alleged corrupt uses of the budget regardless of currency ^[4]. This illustrates a wider political tug-of-war where protest motives are contested by rival parties and leaders ^[4].

5. Historical context and why multiple groups converge in Sofia

Sofia has been the focal point for protests across a range of themes in recent years — from anti-government and judicial demonstrations to large anti-euro rallies by nationalist forces — creating a precedent for simultaneous, overlapping actions when high-stakes items (a budget, eurozone entry, court cases, or labour claims) are on the calendar ^{[6] [7] [8]}. Balkan and regional reporting shows anti-euro mobilisation from nationalists and far-right parties earlier in the year, demonstrating that fiscal and sovereignty issues mobilise disparate constituencies ^[7].

6. What the sources agree on and where reporting differs

BTA, Fakti.bg and Novinite consistently report a CC–DB-organised budget protest for 26 November and separate union wage actions; all indicate multiple demonstrations throughout the day ^{[1] [2] [3]}. Differences appear in emphasis: BTA frames CC–DB’s protest as peaceful and parliamentary-focused, Fakti.bg highlights a schedule of multiple protests and groups involved (including VMRO), and Novinite focuses on union demands and public-sector participation ^{[1] [2] [3]}.

7. Limitations and what the available sources do not say

Available sources do not mention detailed police deployment plans for 26 November, exact turnout figures for each rally on that day, nor real-time developments such as clashes or arrests specific to the 26 November events (not found in current reporting). They also do not provide comprehensive polling on public support for each protest’s demands beyond descriptive accounts (not found in current reporting).

Conclusion: The protests in Sofia on 26 November 2025 reflect a convergence of planned opposition action against the 2026 budget and union-led wage demonstrations, overlaid by other political and nationalist actions tied to judicial cases and North Macedonia issues. Reporting from BTA, Fakti.bg and Novinite documents these parallel streams and captures the contested political framing from major parties ^{[1] [2] [3] [4]}.