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| Bulgaria will become the 21st country in the eurozone from January 1 |
| Sofia, 31.12.2025 |
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| Bulgaria is preparing to join the monetary union. It will become the 21st country in the eurozone on January 1, 2026, but while successive Bulgarian governments have supported the move to the euro, the public is divided on the issue. The biggest concern is rising prices due to the move to the single currency, and the situation is complicated by the fact that food inflation in Bulgaria is twice the eurozone average. This was reported by AFP.
At midnight Bulgarian time (11:00 p.m. CET), Bulgaria will say goodbye to its national currency, the lev, which has been in use in the country since the late 19th century. Successive Bulgarian governments have consistently supported the country of more than six million people joining the eurozone, saying that the move would boost the economy, strengthen ties with the West and protect the country from Russian influence.
Many Bulgarians, however, do not approve of the move to the euro. According to the latest Eurobarometer survey, 49% of the population is against Bulgaria joining the eurozone. Bulgarians’ concerns have been heightened by this year’s anti-euro campaign “for the preservation of the Bulgarian currency”. People are worried about significant price increases at a time when food prices are rising much faster than the eurozone average. According to the Bulgarian Statistical Office, food prices rose by 5% year-on-year in November, compared to 2.5% in the eurozone.
“Unfortunately, the prices in euros do not correspond to those in Bulgarian currency. For example, for some products, 40 leva is no longer 20 euros, but 30 euros,” pastry shop owner Turgut Ismail told AFP. Some shop owners have complained that they have not received the starter packs with euros they requested.
Elena Shemtova, owner of a small gallery and jewelry store in central Sofia, is optimistic. “There will probably be some difficulties at the beginning, problems with issuing, but within a month we will get used to it (the new currency),” she said in an interview with AFP.
The mood of the population is also influenced by the political situation in the country after Prime Minister Rosen Zhelezkov announced the resignation of his government in early December. Zhelezkov, who had been in office with his ministers for less than a year, was responding to widespread anti-government protests.
Zhelezkov, however, believes in a peaceful transition to the euro. “There will be some problems, but we are counting on tolerance and understanding from the population and companies,” he said, adding that the introduction of the euro will have a long-term positive effect on the Bulgarian economy.odkaz na stránku |
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Address : Euro-Brew Ltd., Hlboká 22, 917 01 Trnava, Slovakia
Tel. : +421 33 53 418 53, Fax : +421 33 53 418 52, E-mail : info@eurobrew.sk |
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