Rosen Zhelyazkov

After the Constitutional Court found counting errors in the October 2024 parliamentary elections and changed Parliament's composition, MPs challenged the constitutionality of the election of the Zhelyazkov cabinet on 16 January 2025, arguing that MPs whose mandates were subsequently invalidated had participated in the investiture vote.

State of the evidence

Documented

In April 2021, the Borissov government granted the Sofia Airport concessionaire a deferral of annual fees for the first ten years, worth approximately 250 million euros, until the end of the concession. Zhelyazkov, then Transport Minister, stressed that this was a deferral, not a waiver. In 2025, his successor Grozdan Karadjov argued that traffic had recovered sufficiently and called for payments to resume in 2026.

State of the evidence

Documented

Attribution

Shared responsibility

The Zhelyazkov government faced five no-confidence motions in 2025. The grounds successively concerned foreign policy, anti-corruption measures, fiscal policy, the environment and water, then internal security, justice and alleged worsening of 'state capture'. All five motions failed.

State of the evidence

Allegations

Attribution

Political responsibility

Following reports of GPS signal loss during Ursula von der Leyen's aircraft's approach to Plovdiv, Bulgarian communications evolved. Zhelyazkov initially stated that there was no reason to investigate, then referred to Russian jamming and electronic warfare systems in Crimea, before clarifying to Parliament that ground instruments had detected no prolonged jamming, without ruling out interference aboard the aircraft.

State of the evidence

Documented

Attribution

Political responsibility

Bulgaria's first draft budget denominated in euros included an increase in social security contributions and a doubling of dividend tax. Mass protests erupted in Sofia and elsewhere; the government ultimately withdrew the proposal entirely to resume consultations.

Attribution

Political responsibility

On 11 December 2025, Zhelyazkov announced his government's resignation minutes before another no-confidence vote. The demonstrations, initially triggered by the 2026 budget, had expanded to demands addressing corruption, injustice and the functioning of institutions.

State of the evidence

Documented

Attribution

Political responsibility

On 25 April 2024, the National Assembly removed Rosen Zhelyazkov as Speaker by 129 votes to 103. Supporters of the motion, particularly CC-DB and the BSP, accused him of systematically failing to perform his duties, abusing procedural authority and acting in the interests of the GERB-MRF bloc.

State of the evidence

Documented

Attribution

Directly implicated

As Transport Minister, Zhelyazkov oversaw Sofia Airport's concession procedure. The Supreme Administrative Prosecutor's Office reviewed its legality following a complaint by the BSP, while the opposition called for the procedure to be halted and bidders challenged the ranking. Zhelyazkov defended the process as transparent and lawful and selected Sof Connect in July 2019.

State of the evidence

Documented

Attribution

Political responsibility

While Secretary-General of the Council of Ministers, Rosen Zhelyazkov was charged in October 2013 with misconduct in public office relating to oversight of ballot printing for the May 2013 parliamentary elections. Prosecutors accused him of failing to exercise sufficient oversight of the Multprint printing company. The Sofia court fully acquitted him on 15 April 2015.

Attribution

Personally implicated