Bulgaria is set to become the newest member of the eurozone on January 1, 2026. While European Union officials have approved the move, public opinion across the country remains sharply divided.
On Tuesday, EU finance ministers endorsed Bulgaria’s plan to adopt the euro, following positive assessments from the European Commission and the European Central Bank. As part of the decision, ministers set the conversion rate at 1.95583 leva to the euro.
The move has been a long time coming -- Bulgaria joined the EU in 2007. Experts argue that switching to the euro will strengthen the Bulgarian economy and dismiss widespread fears of inflation.
Still, not everyone is convinced. Polls and street interviews show that public sentiment remains split. A recent survey by Alpha Research found that 46.5 percent of Bulgarians support adopting the euro, while 46.8 percent oppose it.
Bulgarians express concern over rising prices and fear the country could lose part of its national identity. These fears have been amplified by anti-European and pro-Russian narratives—similar to those seen in the Baltic states prior to their own eurozone accessions.
Since June, protesters have gathered in Sofia to demand that Bulgaria retain the lev. President Rumen Radev called for a last-minute referendum on the issue, but parliament rejected the proposal, citing a Constitutional Court ruling that such a vote would be legally impossible.
If all goes to plan, Bulgaria will join the eurozone on January 1. The country became a full member of the Schengen Area a year ago.
