site.btaUDF Leader: With Euro Adoption, Bulgaria Has Finally Become Full-Fledged EU Member

Rumen Hristov, leader of the Union of Democratic Forces, which is part of the GERB-UDF coalition, Thursday said that on this day, "a long-standing dream of the UDF and the democratic community became a reality." With the adoption of the euro, Bulgaria has finally become a full-fledged member of the European Union, he noted as quoted by his party’s press centre. "As of today, Bulgaria is the 21st member of the euro area," Hristov added. 

"Happy New Year! I wish everyone health, peace, and happiness. When the UDF set the country on its Euro-Atlantic path, we knew it would not be easy - that we would face resistance from anti-European forces and become targets of the propaganda machine of the fifth column. This did not stop us, because we are convinced that Bulgaria’s prosperity, higher standard of living, and dignified future are tied to its full European integration. This became a reality thanks to the efforts of several Bulgarian governments and the support of our European partners," Hristov said.

Bulgaria’s adoption of the euro comes exactly 19 years after the country joined the European Union. To mark the occasion, in the first minutes of 2026 a 3D mapping dedicated to the single currency was projected onto the facade of the Bulgarian National Bank.