site.btaUPDATED Finance Minister: Joining Euro Area in 2026 Remains Bulgaria's Key Priority

Minister of Finance Temenuzhka Petkova told reporters here on Tuesday that she has informed the European institutions that Bulgaria's membership in the euro area as of January 2026 remains a key national priority. Petkova is in Brussels to take part in a meeting of her EU counterparts.

According to the Minister, Bulgaria's membership is extremely important, as it would enable the country to maintain its economic and financial stability in the current extremely turbulent geopolitical times. She added: "Despite the President's attempts to divert our country from achieving its strategic goal, we continue to work actively to ensure that Bulgaria takes its rightful place in the euro area."

Petkova reported that on Monday she gave an update on the work that has been done in the last month. The next important step concerns the convergence reports, which are expected to come out in early June. The European institutions have confirmed that they are committed to the timetable previously set in terms of the preparation and examination of the reports. Bulgaria is moving confidently towards the fulfilment of its strategic priority – joining the euro area on January 1, 2026, Petkova concluded.

At the conclusion of a meeting of European finance ministers, Petkova announced that the European Commission had issued a positive assessment of Bulgaria’s medium-term fiscal and structural plan for 2025–2028. Petkova called the approval “extremely good news,” noting that it signals financial stability and sustainability for the country over the next three years—an important factor as Bulgaria moves closer to potential eurozone membership.

The announcement comes amid heightened political tensions in Sofia over whether to hold a national referendum on adopting the euro, as proposed by President Rumen Radev. When asked about the decision by Parliament Chair Nataliya Kiselova not to advance the referendum proposal, Petkova defended Kiselova’s judgment, citing her expertise as a constitutional law professor.

The positive fiscal review strengthens Bulgaria’s position as it awaits convergence reports from the European Commission and the European Central Bank—key steps toward joining the eurozone.