Bulgaria Adopts the Euro: A Controversial Transition

Thu Jan 01 2026 10:55:52 GMT+0200 (Eastern European Standard Time)

After a tumultuous journey, Bulgaria officially joins the eurozone as its 21st member, eliciting mixed reactions from its citizens, amid political unrest and economic challenges.

Bulgaria has officially adopted the euro, becoming the 21st eurozone member. This transition, however, is met with both optimism and apprehension among the population. Urban youths see it as a beneficial move toward integration with Europe, while older, rural citizens express concerns about losing the lev. Amidst political turmoil and economic instability, the public remains divided on the euro's impact on their lives and the country's economic future.

Bulgaria - the poorest country in the European Union - has become the 21st member of the eurozone - leapfrogging more obvious and prosperous candidates like Poland, the Czech Republic and Hungary.

For mostly urban, young and entrepreneurial Bulgarians, it's an optimistic and potentially lucrative leap - the final move in a game which has brought Bulgaria into the European mainstream - from Nato and EU membership, to joining the Schengen zone, and now the euro.

For the older, rural, more conservative parts of the population, the replacement of the Bulgarian lev by the euro provokes fear and resentment.

The lev - meaning lion - has been the Bulgarian currency since 1881, but it has been pegged to other European currencies since 1997 - first the Deutschmark, then the euro.

Opinion polls put Bulgaria's 6.5 million population more or less equally divided on the new currency, and political turmoil is not making the transition easy. Prime Minister Rosen Zhelyazkov's coalition government lost a confidence vote on 11 December, after mass protests against the 2026 budget. Bulgaria has held seven elections in the past four years - an eighth looks likely early next year.

I don't want the euro, and I don't like the way it has been imposed on us, Todor, 50, a small business owner in Gabrovo, told the BBC. If there were a referendum, I reckon 70% of the people would vote against it. A referendum proposal on euro adoption was rejected by the outgoing government.

In contrast, Ognian Enev, 60, who owns a tea shop in Sofia, was enthusiastic: On the whole, it's a good thing. It's just a technical change. It doesn't bother me. He has readied coins and small denomination notes for the change, hoping it will benefit trade.

Since August 2025, all shops in Bulgaria are required to display prices in lev and euros. Consumer protections have been put in place to prevent price gouging. Designs on the euro coins feature prominent Bulgarian symbols to reassure citizens of their cultural identity.

The impact of the euro on Bulgaria is a subject of debate, with opinions split between models of success like the Baltic countries and concerns of stagnation similar to Italy.