site.btaUPDATED Bulgaria Reacts to Getting Final Green Light for Eurozone Entry on January 1, 2026

The EU Council voted unanimously Tuesday on the latest decisions related to Bulgaria's accession to the euro area on January 1, 2026. This completes the procedure, as earlier in the day the European Parliament also approved by a large majority the report on Bulgaria's introduction of the single European currency. 

Following are the reactions to the news in Bulgaria.

National Assembly Chair Nataliya Kiselova said in a press statement that the euro's adoption as official currency will require changes in Bulgarian legislation to ensure legal compliance and a smooth transition to the new currency. The experience of the most recent eurozone Member States shows that a general law regulating the single European currency is usually adopted in the period leading up to the accession date, she noted. The ambition of the 51st National Assembly is not only to regulate the process of euro introduction, but also to guarantee that institutions will adopt measures addressing legislative loopholes that enable speculation, Kiselova noted.

Prime Minister Rosen Zhelyazkov said in a post on X that the Government remains committed to a smooth and effective transition to the euro in the interest of all citizens. "We have succeeded. From January 1, 2026, Bulgaria will officially adopt the euro. We thank all institutions, partners and everyone whose efforts have made this milestone possible,” the Prime Minister wrote. He later told a news conference that the Government's key task will be to ensure that Bulgarians in the euro area enjoy higher incomes, stronger purchasing power, and are protected against inflationary pressures. Zhelyazkov noted that the next six months will be a period of a smooth technical transition in preparation for working with the euro, alongside a broad public awareness campaign.

Finance Minister Temenuzhka Petkova told Bulgarian journalists in Brussels: "Bulgaria succeeded. I congratulate all Bulgarian citizens. This is a huge success for our country, a historic day. It has taken years of effort and perseverance to reach this point. Let us congratulate ourselves on this success and be happy, only good moments await us." In her words, the benefits of eurozone membership are indisputable - economic and financial stability, much more investment and a better standard for Bulgarian citizens. Petkova also said that the Ministry of Finance and the Bulgarian National Bank are launching a major campaign to explain the benefits of the euro.

GERB leader Boyko Borissov wrote on X that that he thanks all Bulgarian and European institutions, partners, MPs, and all those whose efforts made this possible. At a news conference later in the day, Borissov said that GERB has no unfulfilled promises. He pointed out that there was a lot of work to do. "We have identified economic development, modernisation and higher incomes," he specified. "This can happen when we are equal and take part in the important decisions of Europe," Borissov added. The GERB leader pledged stable governance for three more years. "Today's act will give results in two, three, four, five years, young people will feel it," he argued. "We succeeded, I am not the prime minister, but we did enough," he added.

UDF leader Rumen Hristov recalled that 35 years ago, this achievement seemed only a distant dream, yet members of UDF were confident it would one day become reality. Hristov thanked all those who contributed to this success, as well as the people who were not swayed by the anti-European propaganda of the supporters of Eurasia. "Over the past 35 years, democratic pro-European forces in Bulgaria have managed to restore the country to the path from which the communist regime forcefully diverted it for 45 years. I wish success to the government and all institutions involved in the introduction of the euro from January 1, 2026," he said.

Continue the Change wrote in a Facebook post: "The change is here! The European Parliament just welcomed Bulgaria with 'Welcome to the Eurozone'." "Our country has been striving for this since it joined the European Union in 2007,” the text reads. The steps taken in recent years towards the adoption of the euro in Bulgaria are also listed. “For years, Bulgaria was in the waiting room. No one dared to bring Bulgaria closer to the heart of Europe for so many years. After efforts, precise budgets, diplomatic meetings, and reforms, we have now reached this point,” the text reads. Continue the Change reminded that on May 27, 2022, Kiril Petkov's government adopted the National Plan for the Introduction of the Euro, and on July 5, Nikolay Denkov's Cabinet submitted a budget with a 3% deficit.

Democratic Bulgaria Co-chair Ivaylo Mirchev told journalists that no politician should take the credit for Tuesday's final green light to Bulgaria's eurozone entry on January 1, 2026, because everyone in the last four or five years deserves for this to be a fact today. Mirchev described the decision on the euro area as a big victory, because in this way it will be very difficult to detach Bulgaria from the Western geopolitical orbit.

Vazrazhdane Floor Leader Kostadin Kostadinov described the eurozone as "a trap with no way out". He spoke at a protest for the preservation of the Bulgarian lev in the centre of Sofia organized by his party. "There are no irreversible things. The lev can be preserved if the Bulgarian people wish," he argued and added that the struggle to preserve the Bulgarian national currency will continue.

MRF - New Beginning leader Delyan Peevski said, as quoted by his party's press centre: "Today we can say that after our accession to NATO and the EU, with our inclusion in the euro area, Bulgaria's path towards Europe and Euro-Atlanticism is unequivocally complete and there will and can never be a change of direction." "This decisive step, with which Bulgaria finally completed its accession to the developed and established democracies, should burden the country's governance with even greater responsibility," he noted. "And pro-Russian parties and unborn projects have no future because they are doomed to failure. By fulfilling all the conditions that led the country to this positive turn of events and our resolute support, we have proved that we are the guarantor that these parties and projects will never succeed in misleading and deceiving the Bulgarian people," Peevski further stated.

BSP leader and Deputy Prime Minister Atanas Zafirov told a news conference at the party's headquarters that with the introduction of the euro, Bulgaria gains better financial stability, lower interest rates, more investments and much, much better conditions for development. In his words, this means better and more secure business environment, which in turn leads to higher incomes.

There Is Such a People Deputy Floor Leader Stanislav Balabanov commented that the logical thing happened and Bulgaria took its place in the heart of Europe with dignity. In his words, the euro area is not only a currency, it is a sign of trust and a chance for a country like Bulgaria to show that it can be part of the developed European countries. From now on, what is more important and what matters for TISP is what will happen in Bulgaria, Balabanov said further. "Because we have to ensure that Bulgarian citizens will not pay for this transition with inflation, price increases or speculation," he explained. "We will do our best, as long as there is a working government, institutions, stability, to guarantee the security of the people, this is the point for which we are in this National Assembly and part of the government," he noted. 

The Alliance for Rights and Freedoms (ARF) said in a Facebook post that Bulgaria is on the threshold of its membership in the euro area, which is a historic moment that closes the cycle of the country's accession to all major mechanisms and policies of the European Union. "We have always supported Bulgaria's full membership in the EU - not just as a political priority, but as a strategic choice for the future of the country, for the stability, development and well-being of the Bulgarian citizens,” the ARF said.

Velichie leader Ivelin Mihaylov said that in Bulgaria, the euro was adopted with a lie, and a lie never leads to anything good. "The only thing we can say is that we do not support the lie, we do not support this way of making decisions that are for the benefit of someone and not for the benefit of the whole," he told journalists.

MECh Floor Leader Kiril Veselinski told reporters that July 8 was a historic day for Bulgaria, since the social contract between the government and the public had been "torn to pieces". Veselinski expressed his confidence that the majority of Bulgarians were unwilling to see their country adopt the euro in 2026. He listed some reasons for this that included inflation, price spikes, lapses in government, regulatory and institutional oversight.

Bulgarian National Bank Governor Dimitar Radev said in an interview with BTA that Tuesday's decision of the Council of the European Union and the European Parliament for Bulgaria was expected and fully deserved, as it "confirms the right strategic choice" and is the result of years of efforts at many levels. Minting Bulgarian euro coins begins this week, Radev reported. Key processes of the currency changeover, the technical preparation of the systems and the information campaign are being activated in cooperation with the Government, the European Central Bank, and the European Commission. The BNB Governor said that the matter of fiscal stability is now on the agenda. He stated that the budget is the main topic to focus on and added that maintaining a stable fiscal position is key within the euro area. Radev described euro area membership as "a strategic choice that brings stability, confidence and access to powerful financial resources". If Bulgaria manages to use these opportunities with vision, it has a real prospect of becoming a rich European country, he concluded.

Rumen Radev, Chairman of the Management Board of the Bulgarian Industrial Capital Association (BICA), said in an interview with BTA that the euro's adoption is more than a currency shift: it is a strategic opportunity to boost Bulgaria's competitiveness and investment appeal. Every second company among BICA’s members expects real improvements in its operations following the adoption of the euro, Radev emphasized. By joining the eurozone, Bulgaria will eliminate transaction costs, gain access to cheaper financing, improve the business environment by reducing macroeconomic risks through the pan-European protection mechanism, and reduce currency risk for companies, said Radev. According to him, many of these positive effects will be felt by entrepreneurs and citizens immediately. “Adopting the euro is the best economic news for Bulgarian business in recent times,” Radev concluded. “But we must not forget that sustained growth depends on a functioning legal system, sufficient human resources, and global economic stability.”