site.bta57.1% of Bulgarians against Entering Euro Area, 39% Favour It - Poll

Asked whether they favour Bulgaria adopting the euro as its official currency, 57.1% said they were against it, 39% were in favour, while the remaining 3.9% were on the fence, according to a poll conducted by Myara Sociology Agency between January 29 and 31 among 801 adults over the telephone, the agency reported on Saturday. Bulgaria's entry into the eurozone will clearly run into the public scepticism that has become common in recent years, the sociologists said.

Asked when Bulgaria should join the euro area, with the deliberate clarification that the adoption of this currency is part of Bulgaria's agreements to finalize its European integration, the respondents did not form a clear majority, when they were presented with three options as answers: January 1, 2026, postponement or rejection of the new currency. The plurality of the respondents, 41.4%, believe that rejecting the euro is the right step, another 30.8% would like the adoption to be postponed, and just over one in four, 25.7%, would like Bulgaria to enter the eurozone in the beginning of next year. The remaining 2.1% are hesitant.

According to the survey, older adults are the ones who tend to be more concerned. This can be attributed to more sensitivity on sovereignty issues, more nostalgia, lack of adequate information, malicious campaigns, fear of possible appreciation of life and other factors, the sociologists said. Against this backdrop, the introduction of the euro will require good leadership and persuasive information campaigns, according to Myara.