"A contentious budget, endemic corruption and political arrogance caught on camera were the straw that broke the camel's back and a trigger for mass protests. On December 1, Bulgaria's Gen Z took to the streets in the largest nationwide demonstrations in decades, demanding that next year's budget be revoked and that the government resign."
"The budget was the reason to protest, but the root cause is that we see no prospects for staying in Bulgaria, starting a business or building a family," said 18-year-old high school student Martin Atanassov, who joined the demonstrations."
"Gen Z is the first generation in Bulgaria to have no personal memories of either the communist regime, which ruled the country from 1944 to 1989, or the hyperinflation crisis of the late 1990s. In a country where turnout barely reached 39% in the last parliamentary election, young people have become increasingly engaged in politics since the mass protests began."
On December 1, Bulgaria's Gen Z staged the largest nationwide demonstrations in decades, calling for revocation of next year's budget and the government's resignation. A contentious budget, endemic corruption and political arrogance caught on camera sparked the protests. The government introduced a new draft budget delaying tax and social contribution increases for two years, but the measure is unlikely to satisfy protesters. Young demonstrators say the deeper cause is lack of prospects for staying in Bulgaria, starting businesses or raising families. Turnout in recent elections has been low, yet youth political engagement has risen with demands including healthcare, jobs and anti-corruption reforms.
Read at www.dw.com
Unable to calculate read time
Collection
[
|
...
]