site.btaBulgaria Joins Eurozone at a Time When It Matters to Be Together, Says ECB President

Bulgaria is joining the euro area at a time when it matters to be together, when it matters to be united and where size, scope and scale actually matter, European Central Bank (ECB) President Christine Lagarde said here Tuesday. She took a question from BTA about the regional and global context of Bulgaria's euro adoption, during a press conference following a high-level conference titled “Bulgaria on the Doorstep of the Euro Area,” organized by the Ministry of Finance and the Bulgarian National Bank.

"Bulgaria is joining at a time when there is more volatility, at a time when we have more shocks, one after the other, compounded, and at a time when the global order as we have known it is more fragmented. And when friends are probably fewer. So it's a time when it's important to close ranks and to be together. You might think that it's a difficult time, and it is, but it's a time that is propitious to standing united and standing together because we are simply stronger together," she said.

The ECB President recalled Bulgaria's strong economic record at the time it is about to join the eurozone. "I think for those who are not Bulgarian in the room, it's worth reminding a few of the indicators, because Bulgaria stands on a very strong set of fundamentals. When I look at my numbers, I have for 2025 3% growth, 3.4% inflation, 3.9% unemployment, 29.3% debt-to-GDP ratio, and 4% fiscal balances,” she added.