The article is ok. Not sure why you say that GERB are neoliberal though, they're as right-wing as it gets in Bulgaria and their values are not dissimilar to US conservatives. The protests are mostly organized by hardcore neoliberals. There's no true left in Bulgaria since the fall of the Eastern Bloc.
Most coders don't have a degree, you just learn to do it by practicing on your own for a few years (decades).