site.btaEuro Information Meeting Held in Gabrovo

Information meetings, part of the National Information Campaign for the Introduction of the Euro in Bulgaria, were held in Gabrovo, Svoge, Lom, Topolovgrad, and Dupnitsa on Tuesday. The campaign aims to inform citizens about the main stages and deadlines of the euro introduction process in a clear, detailed and reliable manner.

Bulgaria will adopt the single EU currency on January 1, 2026, becoming the 21st member of the euro area.

Among the participants in the meeting in Gabrovo were Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Innovation and Growth Tomislav Donchev, Deputy Finance Minister Metodi Metodiev, Deputy Tourism Minister Pavlin Petrov, and Culture Minister Marian Bachev.

Innovation and Growth Minister Donchev said that all fears about the introduction of the euro will be overcome within a month or two after January 1, 2026, after which we will be left to combine the benefits. He noted that the country’s entry into the eurozone is not a sure path to prosperity, but it is an opportunity. “This depends on us, and if we make use of it, there will be results,” he said. Donchev said that when humanity evolves into a new era, when it adopts a new technology, or finds itself in a new political reality, there is always doubt about the new and nostalgia for the old. That’s why fears and prejudices are to be expected. Donchev described some of the debates on the topic as “absurd.” “The first fake news related to the euro that I read was 10 years ago, when there was still no political horizon for Bulgaria’s entry into the eurozone. It claimed that Bulgaria, in order to join the eurozone, would have to mortgage its nuclear power plant and all school buildings,” said the Deputy Prime Minister. Regarding the claims that the country would lose financial sovereignty, he noted that such a thing could perhaps be said in Poland, but in Bulgaria, this kind of sovereignty has not existed since 1997, when a currency board was introduced and the Bulgarian lev was pegged to the German mark. Regarding the frequently asked question of why wealthy countries such as Switzerland, Norway, Iceland, and Liechtenstein do not adopt the euro, Donchev said that none of them are members of the European Union.

Deputy Prime Minister Donchev told journalists that the greatest risk in introducing the euro in Bulgaria is the potential for fraud. According to him, the Ministry of the Interior has been alerted about the possible activation of criminal networks, and he expressed hope that adequate preventive measures will be taken. Donchev noted that public perceptions of the new currency remain mixed. “Doubts and prejudices can be overcome through accurate information," he added. In his words, it is crucial for everyone to be ready to switch from the lev to the euro on January 1, 2026.

Deputy Finance Minister Metodiev said that as Bulgaria’s information campaign on the introduction of the euro advances, citizens are becoming increasingly informed and confident, as reflected in recent sociological surveys. Metodiev noted that people are gaining confidence in the fact that the process of adopting the euro is well structured and thoroughly prepared. He emphasized that the public administration and state institutions are fully ready for the transition, both in terms of the legal framework and the technical and logistical infrastructure required for the exchange between the lev and the euro. “Looking at the big picture, eurozone membership is both an opportunity and a prerequisite that will allow us to achieve faster, catch-up economic growth,” Metodiev said. “We will continue to manage our public finances responsibly. But what’s equally important is that we must also move forward with structural reforms that make our economy more resilient and competitive in the long term,” he explained.

Deputy Tourism Minister Petrov said that introducing the euro as the national currency will help Bulgaria strengthen its position within the European family as a tourism destination, offering prospects for greater growth, competitiveness and stability in the sector. Petrov also said that adopting the single European currency will bring growth and higher competitiveness for Bulgarian tourism. According to the Deputy Minister, the euro will make Bulgaria a more attractive, accessible, comfortable, calm and secure destination. For Bulgarian tourism, it means growth and a positive signal. He also underlined that the new currency will boost the confidence of international investors, reassuring them that they are investing in a country that is a promising destination for tourism development. Regarding Bulgarian businesses, he added that using a single currency will eliminate the need for exchange fees and conversions.

Culture Minister Bachev said introducing the euro is a major change, but it offers a chance for greater security, predictability and more stable development in the cultural sector. He cited the experience of other countries to show that Bulgaria's eurozone entry will be beneficial for cultural tourism. For artists and cultural institutions, the euro also brings concrete benefits. It will facilitate international participation and tours by eliminating the need for currency conversion, thereby saving unnecessary costs and avoiding delays in fees, royalties, taxes and other expenses, said Bachev. The euro will also provide better access to European funding and programmes such as Creative Europe and Erasmus+. Cultural heritage initiatives already operate in euro, which for institutions means easier planning, more reliable reporting and greater competitiveness when applying for funding for writers, musicians and translators. He stressed that this will lead to greater security in international contracts and increased sustainability of joint projects. "The euro will not change our values, but will make culture more accessible both at home and across Europe. It will give us the tools to be more flexible, competitive and ambitious in our projects," Bachev said.

The euro information meetings are a joint effort between the responsible institutions, including the Ministry of Finance, the Bulgarian National Bank, the Ministry of Economy and Industry, the Consumer Protection Commission (CPC), the National Revenue Agency, the Financial Supervision Commission, the National Social Security Institute, among others. The nationwide information campaign was launched in Burgas (on the Black Sea) on September 2.