December 2025 will go down in history books not only as the month in which Bulgaria finalized its preparations for the Eurozone, but also as the moment when the "digital rebellion" of Generation Z (Gen Z) shook the political foundations of the state. While ATMs are being reconfigured for the new currency, Independence Square has become an arena of clash between the old status quo and the young, uncompromising civil society. The paradox is complete: the protests that brought down Rosen Zhelyazkov's government seem like a recipe for instability in the eyes of the ECB, but are in fact the strongest proof that Bulgaria is ready for Europe.
Who lit the spark? Budget 2026 as a catalyst
It all started with a budget bill. The attempt to push through higher social security contributions and taxes in order to "tie the budget" at the last moment, without real reforms in the administration and without clear anti-corruption measures, overflowed the cup. But unlike the protests of 2013 or 2020, this time the engine was not party groups, but TikTok and Instagram.
According to sociological agencies, the core of the protest are people between 18 and 25 years old – a generation that does not remember Jean Videnov, but does not tolerate the lack of transparency. They do not just want to replace one leader with another; they want a "smart contract" with the state – you pay taxes, you receive services, without a corruption "peace tax".
The big fear: Will Brussels cut us off?
With the resignation of the cabinet on December 11, the political risk reached its peak. International media, from the BBC to Deutsche Welle, are asking the logical question: "Can the political crisis derail the adoption of the euro?". The technical answer is "no" – the decision of the EU Council from the summer of 2025 is final. Bulgaria met the Maastricht criteria, including the one for inflation, as early as April.
However, there is a "reputational risk". The ECB and the European Commission do not like unpredictability. The lack of a titular government at the time of the currency change is an administrative nightmare. But here lies the most important nuance: these protests are not anti-European. On the contrary, EU flags are waving alongside the Bulgarian tricolor.
The protest as a guarantee of quality
Analysts often miss that "stability" based on corruption compromises is much more dangerous for the Eurozone than temporary political turbulence. The young people in the square are actually doing the work of the European Prosecutor's Office. Their demand for transparency in the spending of public funds is the best insurance that Bulgaria will not become the "new Greece" – a country that entered the Eurozone with hidden deficits.
Generation Z showed that it will not tolerate the "absorption" model. This is music to the ears of taxpayers in Germany and the Netherlands, although it is currently causing headaches for officials in Brussels.
The political "Reset"
Bringing down the government days before the Euro is shock therapy. The old parties – GERB, DPS, even part of PP-DB – were caught off guard by the speed of mobilization. This rewrites the rules for the upcoming elections. It is no longer enough to promise an "Euro-Atlantic orientation"; you have to prove integrity.
Conclusion
Yes, Bulgaria is entering the Eurozone with a caretaker cabinet and a political crisis. But this is not a failure. This is the painful birth of a true European civil society. If the price of having a functioning rule of law is a few weeks of uncertainty, then this price is worth paying. Because on January 1, 2026, we will change our currency, but thanks to these protests, we have a chance to change the morality in our politics as well.