Bulgarian government resigns as mass protests over higher taxes continue

Students wave a Bulgarian flag during protests in Sofia on December 10 (Valentina Petrova/AP)

Bulgaria’s government resigned on Thursday as mass protests gripped the country just weeks before it is due to join the eurozone.

The resignation of the minority coalition, led by the centre-right Gerb party, was announced minutes before parliament was scheduled to vote on a no-confidence motion tabled by the opposition over economic mismanagement and supported by growing public anger with widespread corruption.