"Velichie" Party Protest Blocks Sofia Center, Demands Resignation

A protest by "Velichie" temporarily blocked the center of Sofia. Traffic was stopped by sympathizers of the party and its representatives, who parked their cars on the roadway in the Triangle of Power, announcing that their cars had broken down.

The protest was led by Pavel Stoimenov from "Velichie" and Rosen Milenov, a former employee of DANS. The demonstrators chanted "resignation." They emphasized that their actions were not provoked by the 2026 budget, but were a reaction against the overall governance, which is why they are demanding the resignation of the cabinet.

"There have been thefts, but this is already the limit. We must fight and we will be here every day," said the organizers, calling on people from other settlements to join.

Shortly afterwards, the cars were removed to restore traffic.

The Sofia Municipality sent a position explaining that the action of "Velichie" on Tsar Osvoboditel Blvd., Dondukov Blvd., and Rakovski St. is unauthorized. The protest was not coordinated with the institutions. Teams from the Sofia Police and the Center for Urban Mobility were on site, removing the illegally parked cars and issuing acts.

The demonstration of "Velichie" comes after a protest on the 26th against the 2026 budget, which blocked the Triangle of Power. The protesters formed a human chain around the parliament, there were clashes with the police, tension, and arrests. In the corridors of the National Assembly, a scandal broke out between PP-DB and DPS-NN.

A day later, the ruling party withdrew the budget and announced negotiations with trade unions and employers.

"We will sit at the negotiating table, we will again try to restore the dialogue with trade unions and with employers, we will try to achieve macroeconomic parameters of the budget - such as to be satisfactory for a large part of the business, for a large part of society," said Prime Minister Rosen Zhelyazkov.