Podcast in English
Text size
Bulgarian National Radio © 2025 All Rights Reserved

Ministry of Interior disputes the number of supporters of the Bulgarian lev who protested on May 31

Photo: Ani Petrova, BNR

Supporters of keeping the Bulgarian lev after 2026 and the Ministry of Interior disagree on the number of people who took to the streets of Bulgarian cities on May 31.

The organizers of the protest, which took place in Sofia and in more than 100 other cities across the country, claim that the total number of participants exceeded 270,000.

''The actual number is significantly lower”, the Ministry of the Interior replied to an inquiry from 24 Chasa daily. The ministry did not conduct an official count, but based on the number of police officers deployed for security and the drone footage published by the Interior Ministry, it is clear, they say, that the number was below 270,000.

The leader of the Vazrazhdane, Kostadin Kostadinov, one of the main organizers of the demonstrations, stated that over 50,000 people gathered in Sofia, more than 20,000 in Plovdiv, and between 5,000 and 10,000 in other regional cities. According to the police, however, the number of participants in Plovdiv, for example, was no more than 1,000.

Meanwhile, supporters of the euro have expressed doubts on social media, suggesting that some of the protest photos shared online are fake or have been generated using artificial intelligence.

Edited by Ivo Ivanov

Published and translated by Kostadin Atanasov

Photo: Ani Petrova, BNR




Последвайте ни и в Google News Showcase, за да научите най-важното от деня!
Listen to the daily news from Bulgaria presented in "Bulgaria Today" podcast, available in Spotify.

More from category

L-R - Assen Vassilev, Kiril Petkov and former PM Nikolai Denkov

We Continue the Change considers a no confidence vote in the government after July 9

Negotiations for a vote of no confidence in Rosen Zhelyazkov's government will begin after July 9, when Bulgaria's adoption of the euro becomes irreversible. "We Continue the Change" (PP) announced this at a National Assembly briefing, according to BTA...

published on 6/5/25 5:48 PM

Police busted a migrant smuggling ring operating from Syria and Iraq through Turkey

Sixteen people were arrested for trafficking illegal migrants, the Interior Ministry said. This operation was carried out by Bulgarian authorities on June 3. It took place in six districts of the country: Sofia, Burgas, Kardzhali, Stara Zagora, Haskovo..

published on 6/5/25 5:35 PM

Owners sought for the ferries "Heroes of Sevastopol" and "Heroes of Odessa"

The Bulgarian Maritime Training Center, is seeking state assistance to accelerate the procedures for the sale of the ferries "Heroes of Sevastopol" and "Heroes of Odessa" and the ship "Atanas Dimitrov", manager of the center, Dencho..

published on 6/5/25 4:42 PM