Bulgaria's government said it will drop its 2026 budget plan after tens of thousands protested on Monday night in Sofia and across the country. The draft budget faced backlash for raised taxes and alleged hidden government corruption. Clashes broke out when masked protesters attacked offices of the ruling Gerb party and DPS party in Sofia. Over 70 people were arrested, said Sofia's top police official Lyubomir Nikolov. The budget would have been Bulgaria's first in euros as it joins the eurozone on January 1. Public opinion is split, with fears of inflation in one of the EU's poorest nations. President Rumen Radev condemned the violence, calling it a "provocation by the mafia." He urged law obedience and demanded government resignation and early elections, stating "Bulgarians said NO to this government." Prime Minister Rosen Zhelyazkov leads a minority coalition after his centre-right Gerb party's unclear win in October 2024 polls. After protests, Zhelyazkov delayed the budget for more talks with opposition, unions, and employers. On Tuesday, Zhelyazkov announced withdrawing the budget and starting a new procedure. Bulgaria's opposition demands full government resignation, saying budget withdrawal is insufficient. Significant protests also took place in Plovdiv, Varna, Burgas, and Blagoevgrad. Protesters called for an end to corruption, with student Ventsislava Vasileva saying: "We want to be a European country, not one ruled by corruption and the mafia."