site.btaParliament Rejects Referendum on Adopting Euro in 2026

On Monday, President Rumen Radev proposed to Parliament to hold a national referendum asking whether Bulgaria should adopt the single European currency in 2026.

On Tuesday, National Assembly Chair Nataliya Kiselova rejected the proposal as unconstitutional.

GERB leader Boyko Borissov wrote on Facebook that Parliament will not consider the proposal.

According to President Radev, Kiselova's injunction "collapses what little trust remains in the institutions and exposes their claims to be working in the interests of the people and taking their will into account." The parliamentary majority is marching towards the eurozone but is moving Bulgaria away from the Europe of democracy and law, the President added.

Vice President Iliana Iotova backed the proposal, saying, “…we have reached the point of desecrating the Bulgarian lev…This must not be allowed, regardless of the motives.”

Continue the Change - Democratic Bulgaria (CC-DB) co-floor leader Nikolay Denkov Tuesday defended Kiselova’s decision to reject the referendum, adding that this is being done by those trying to divert Bulgaria from its European path. “It is important to follow the laws and procedures. What the Chair of the National Assembly did is within her authority and expertise,” Denkov said.

MRF - New Beginning MP Kalin Stoyanov Tuesday argued that swift rejection of the President's euro referendum proposal was needed to calm the Bulgarian citizens and the EU. According to him, the referendum proposal represents the “magnitude of audacity by the Supreme Commander-in-Chief of the Bulgarian Armed Forces, who is, unfortunately, also the supreme divider of the nation.”

The nationalist Vazrazhdane party demands the resignation of Parliament Chair Kiselova for rejecting President Radev’s proposal. The resignation call was published on Facebook by Vazrazhdane leader Kostadin Kostadinov. The Vazrazhdane leader argues that Kiselova violated the Constitution with her move. MP Petar Petrov told reporters in Parliament that they would start collecting signatures in support of the motion for Kiselova's resignation on Wednesday. They need to secure the signatures of 80 deputies to push it through.

Velichie Floor Leader Ivelin Mihaylov argued that GERB-UDF Floor Leader Boyko Borissov and MRF - New Beginning Floor Leader Delyan Peevski are ordering National Assembly Chair Nataliya Kiselova what to do.

Bulgaria’s banking system is ready for the country's entry into the euro area. Bankers rallied around the idea at the Banking Today conference, organized by Investor.bg in Sofia, which discusses the development of the financial and banking sector in Bulgaria. The banking system is fully prepared for the adoption of the euro and entry into the euro area, said Zhivko Todorov, Deputy Chairman of the Management Board and CEO of Investbank.

The Confederation of Independent Trade Unions in Bulgaria (CITUB) supports the introduction of the single European currency as soon as possible, the union's position states.

The Association of Bulgarian Employers' Organizations (ABEO) firmly expressed its support for Bulgaria’s accession to the eurozone on January 1, 2026. Their letter is addressed to President Rumen Radev, Parliament Chair Nataliya Kiselova, and Prime Minister Rosen Zhelyazkov.