Bulgaria's Budget Battle: People Power vs. Government Plans

Bulgaria's government faced a tough situation recently. They had to pull back their 2026 budget plan. This was the first budget made in euros, even though Bulgaria hasn't officially switched to the euro yet. The reason? People were not happy. They took to the streets to protest. The protests were big. Thousands of people showed up in Sofia and other cities. They were against tax increases. The government wanted to raise taxes to pay for more spending. But many Bulgarians are also upset about corruption in the government. This isn't the first time the government has tried to increase taxes. They've tried before, and it didn't go well. Now, they have to start all over again. This time, they'll have to talk more with opposition parties, unions, and business groups. Some people are worried about what will happen if a new budget isn't passed soon. The deputy minister of labor said that payments to poor people might be affected. He hopes that everyone can work together to protect the most vulnerable people in society. It's clear that the government has a lot of work to do. They need to find a way to make a budget that people will support. But with so much opposition, it won't be easy.