Bulgaria's government resigns as mass protests gripped the nation weeks before joining eurozone

The resignation of the minority coalition, led by the center-right GERB party, was announced minutes before parliament was scheduled to vote on a no-confidence motion tabled by the opposition over economic mismanagement and supported by growing public anger with widespread corruption. “Ahead of today’s vote of no confidence, the government is resigning,” Prime Minister Rosen Zhelyazkov told reporters in parliament. The demonstrations on Wednesday came after last week’s protests that were sparked by the government’s budget plans for higher taxes, increased social security contributions and spending increases.