Protesters block traffic during protests against high electricity bills in Sofia February 17, 2013 (Photo: Tsvetelina Belutova/ Reuters)
Feb 20, 2013
Following days of anti-austerity protests in Bulgaria, Prime Minister Boiko Borisov announced Wednesday that he and his ruling party will resign, stating: "I can't watch as fences go up around Parliament. If the people want the government to resign then the state needs a new vote of confidence, so the people will decide how the government continues from now on."
Borisov is calling for new elections, which should take place within four months.
Bulgarians have been angered by the government's far reaching austerity measures that have led to "high energy costs, power monopolies, low living standards" amongst governmental corruption, Al Jazeera reports.
The current government has employed widespread wage and pension freezes and tax hikes since Borisov came to power in 2009. Bulgaria currently suffers from an 11.9% unemployment rate.
"He made my day," student Borislav Hadzhiev, 21 stated, commenting on Borisov's resignation. "The truth is that we're living in an extremely poor country."
At least 25 people were taken to the hospital after police clashed with protesters Tuesday night.
"I will not participate in a government under which police are beating people," Borisov added.
Bulgarian's have been protesting in force for several days. On Sunday tens of thousands protested in more than 20 cities.
Al Jazeera reports:
Join Us: News for people demanding a better world
Common Dreams is powered by optimists who believe in the power of informed and engaged citizens to ignite and enact change to make the world a better place. We're hundreds of thousands strong, but every single supporter makes the difference. Your contribution supports this bold media model—free, independent, and dedicated to reporting the facts every day. Stand with us in the fight for economic equality, social justice, human rights, and a more sustainable future. As a people-powered nonprofit news outlet, we cover the issues the corporate media never will. Join with us today! |
Our work is licensed under Creative Commons (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0). Feel free to republish and share widely.
Jacob Chamberlain
Jacob Chamberlain is a former staff writer for Common Dreams. His website is www.jacobpchamberlain.com.
Following days of anti-austerity protests in Bulgaria, Prime Minister Boiko Borisov announced Wednesday that he and his ruling party will resign, stating: "I can't watch as fences go up around Parliament. If the people want the government to resign then the state needs a new vote of confidence, so the people will decide how the government continues from now on."
Borisov is calling for new elections, which should take place within four months.
Bulgarians have been angered by the government's far reaching austerity measures that have led to "high energy costs, power monopolies, low living standards" amongst governmental corruption, Al Jazeera reports.
The current government has employed widespread wage and pension freezes and tax hikes since Borisov came to power in 2009. Bulgaria currently suffers from an 11.9% unemployment rate.
"He made my day," student Borislav Hadzhiev, 21 stated, commenting on Borisov's resignation. "The truth is that we're living in an extremely poor country."
At least 25 people were taken to the hospital after police clashed with protesters Tuesday night.
"I will not participate in a government under which police are beating people," Borisov added.
Bulgarian's have been protesting in force for several days. On Sunday tens of thousands protested in more than 20 cities.
Al Jazeera reports:
Jacob Chamberlain
Jacob Chamberlain is a former staff writer for Common Dreams. His website is www.jacobpchamberlain.com.
Following days of anti-austerity protests in Bulgaria, Prime Minister Boiko Borisov announced Wednesday that he and his ruling party will resign, stating: "I can't watch as fences go up around Parliament. If the people want the government to resign then the state needs a new vote of confidence, so the people will decide how the government continues from now on."
Borisov is calling for new elections, which should take place within four months.
Bulgarians have been angered by the government's far reaching austerity measures that have led to "high energy costs, power monopolies, low living standards" amongst governmental corruption, Al Jazeera reports.
The current government has employed widespread wage and pension freezes and tax hikes since Borisov came to power in 2009. Bulgaria currently suffers from an 11.9% unemployment rate.
"He made my day," student Borislav Hadzhiev, 21 stated, commenting on Borisov's resignation. "The truth is that we're living in an extremely poor country."
At least 25 people were taken to the hospital after police clashed with protesters Tuesday night.
"I will not participate in a government under which police are beating people," Borisov added.
Bulgarian's have been protesting in force for several days. On Sunday tens of thousands protested in more than 20 cities.
Al Jazeera reports:
We've had enough. The 1% own and operate the corporate media. They are doing everything they can to defend the status quo, squash dissent and protect the wealthy and the powerful. The Common Dreams media model is different. We cover the news that matters to the 99%. Our mission? To inform. To inspire. To ignite change for the common good. How? Nonprofit. Independent. Reader-supported. Free to read. Free to republish. Free to share. With no advertising. No paywalls. No selling of your data. Thousands of small donations fund our newsroom and allow us to continue publishing. Can you chip in? We can't do it without you. Thank you.