site.btaPresident Radev: Bulgarians Protest Against Euro Adoption Without Referendum or Proper Preparation

President Rumen Radev on Friday said that city squares are full, Bulgarians are protesting against the refusal to hold a referendum and the introduction of the euro without the necessary conditions and preparation. He spoke to journalists in Kazanlak, where he visited the Arsenal ordnance plant.

On January 1, 2026, Bulgaria is set to become the newest member of the eurozone, after the EU Council unanimously approved on July 8 the decision on Bulgaria's accession.

Immediately after the publication of the positive convergence reports of the European Commission and the European Central Bank [on June 4], statistics showed a rise in prices, Radev stressed. He said: "Revenue collection is dramatically lagging behind, investments have hit a record low, industrial production is collapsing, and the government’s economic policy boils down to pushing us into a debt spiral, which is being presented as some unprecedented success." The inadequate actions of those in power are deepening divisions in society, Radev said.