Fans of Bulgarian right-wing, pro-Russian party Vazrazhdane clashed with police in Sofia and entered Sofia’s European Commission building on Saturday, February 22. Six people were detained, as announced by the Ministry of Interior, including Vazrazhdane MP Ivaylo Chorbov. Ten policemen were injured in the confrontation.
The incident began when Vazrazhdane, which holds 27 seats in Bulgaria’s 240-member parliament, staged a protest in front of the Bulgarian National Bank. Demonstrators later moved to the European Commission Representative Office (commonly known as the European Dome), where they threw red paint, smoke bombs and eggs at the building’s facade. After protesters burned down the entrance door, police intervened, leading to violent clashes. Firefighters quickly responded and managed to put out the fire before it could spread further.
The Ministry of Interior later confirmed that among those detained was Vazrazhdane MP Ivaylo Chorbov, who attempted to conceal his identity with a scarf during the protest. He has been accused of participating in acts of vandalism, including attempting to break the building’s windows.
The protesters targeted images of key European financial figures, including Valdis Dombrovskis (European Commissioner for Trade), Christine Lagarde (President of European Central Bank), and Paschal Donohoe (Irish Finance Minister and Eurogroup President). The demonstration came amid ongoing tensions over Bulgaria’s planned adoption of the euro to replace its current currency, the lev, pending fulfillment of technical requirements. Prime Minister Zhelyakov’s government, which took office in June 2024, has repeatedly emphasized that Bulgaria’s accession to the Eurozone remains a top priority for the country’s economic development, despite growing opposition.
This is not the first time the European Commission building has been targeted in protests organized by Vazrazhdane supporters. In 2023, during a demonstration calling for Bulgarian neutrality in the Russian-Ukrainian conflict, the building was similarly targeted. The party has consistently maintained pro-Russian positions and has allied itself in the European Parliament with Germany’s Alternative für Deutschland (AfD), a far-right opposition party known for its eurosceptic stance. Vazrazhdane has staunchly opposed euro adoption since its founding, even attempting to organize a referendum against it, though the Constitutional Court rejected this proposal.
Party Leader Konstadin Kostadinov claimed the National Statistics Institute (NSI) had “falsified” inflation projections related to euro adoption. The NSI firmly rejected these accusations, noting that Kostadinov’s party provided no evidence to support their claims.
The Council of Ministers swiftly condemned the attack on the European Commission building. Bulgaria’s five largest political parties joined in denouncing the events as “acts of vandalism.” The Ministry of Interior issued a stern warning, stating that “violence against law enforcement officers will not go without consequences,” and pledged that “all individuals who broke the law will face appropriate legal action.”
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen strongly condemned the attack, stating: “Outrageous scenes in Sofia where our EU office has been vandalised. In Europe, we exercise the right to demonstrate in a peaceful way. Violence and vandalism are never the answer.”
European Parliament President Roberta Metsola also reacted to the events on Twitter: “This afternoon our building that represents European democracy in Sofia has been targeted and vandalised. Disgraceful. Unacceptable. We are the first to defend the right to peaceful protests & demonstrations in Europe. But that should never translate to violence & aggression.”
Kiril Petkov, leader of the pro-European PP-DB coalition, characterized the attack as “an attempt to distract from real problems,” arguing that Vazrazhdane’s anti-Eurozone campaign “aims to mislead citizens that the Euro is a threat to Bulgaria.” Most political leaders emphasized that while freedom of speech is a fundamental right, it cannot extend to acts of violence.
