site.btaECB President Lagarde: "Only 10 Days to Go until Bulgaria Becomes the 21st Member of Our Euro Family"

The President of the European Central Bank (ECB), Christine Lagarde, once again highlighted the key period leading up to Bulgaria’s accession to the euro area. “Only 10 days to go until Bulgaria becomes the 21st member of our euro family,” she wrote in a post on her Facebook page. Just over two weeks ago, Lagarde noted that 25 days remained until this country's adoption of the single currency.

On New Year’s Eve, shortly before January 1, when Bulgaria will officially adopt the euro, the ECB will illuminate the southern facade of its headquarters in Frankfurt to mark Bulgaria’s accession to the euro area as of January 1, 2026.

The animation will feature a greeting, “Welcome, Bulgaria,” in all the languages of the euro area countries and will also include a presentation of the national side of the 50-cent, 1-euro, and 2-euro coins.

The video, approximately four minutes long, will be projected from January 1 to January 11, 2026, and will include visual elements in the EU colors - blue and yellow - arranged in lines and bars generated by algorithms based on the music of the “Ode to Joy.” The first screening will take place exactly at New Year.

The visuals will be complemented by white lines and “bubbles” containing social and cultural data about Europe, such as the number of countries, languages, or major cities. The projection will take the form of a repeating four-minute animation.

The visual concept symbolizes “unity in diversity” and emphasizes both European identity and the significance of the euro area’s expansion with Bulgaria’s accession.