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

The Union of Thracian Societies commemorates the Ilinden–Preobrazhenie Uprising

In the village of Slaveyno near Smolyan, the Union of Thracian Societies in Bulgaria is organizing a National Gathering-Pilgrimage on August 2 and 3. The festival is dedicated to the 122nd anniversary of the Ilinden–Preobrazhenie Uprising and the 145th..

published on 8/2/25 5:35 AM

Temperatures begin to rise over the weekend

On Saturday minimum temperatures will range between 15 and 23° C., for Sofia 15° C. During the day the weather will be predominantly sunny, cumulus clouds will form around and after midday. There will be rain and thunder mostly in the mountain..

published on 8/1/25 6:35 PM

Firefighting in Pirin continues

Firefighting continues in Pirin Mountain, BNR correspondent Keti Trencheva reports.  At a briefing, Commissioner Valentin Vassilev, regional director of the fire department in Blagoevgrad, pointed out that currently there is one serious front - above..

published on 8/1/25 6:27 PM