[Bulgaria] Protests: Peaceful protest

Summary

Single-source ACLED detection — awaiting independent verification. Restaurant industry employees and managers across Bulgaria reportedly staged peaceful protests on April 9, 2025, demanding the government reduce VAT rates to 9% amid fears of potential increases to 20%. The demonstrations centered in Dimitrovgrad but allegedly occurred nationwide, with protesters seeking a return to coronavirus-era tax levels.

Supply-chain impact

No commodities or chokepoints are directly mapped to this event; second-order effects depend on how the situation escalates and whether similar tax policy protests spread to other sectors or disrupt broader economic activity.

Watch points

• Monitor for verification of the protest scale and government response to VAT rate concerns in Bulgaria's restaurant sector
• Track whether tax-related demonstrations expand beyond hospitality to other industries or critical infrastructure sectors