The last step has been taken: Bulgaria can introduce the euro. From January 1, 2026, the Balkan country can replace the State currency LEW with the euro. Originally access to the eurozone was planned for last year.
After the EU committee and the heads of state and the government had shown all their thumb high, the ministers of the finances of the EU countries said goodbye to the necessary legal files for the introduction of the euro during a meeting in Brussels. It is said that one euro is worth 1,95583 LEW.
Traveling will be easier
Bulgaria has been a member of the European Union since 2007 and becomes the 21st country in which you pay with Euro coins and characters. Access to the currency area makes trade and travel easier: there are no risks due to exchange rate fluctuations for companies, and tourists no longer have to exchange money, which is usually associated with extra costs.
Bulgaria originally wanted to introduce the euro in early 2024. Due to a high inflation of 9.5 percent, access to the eurozone was postponed. In the meantime, however, the country meets all the necessary criteria. This was confirmed at the beginning of June by the European Central Bank (ECB) and the EU committee.
Violent protests
“It is now important that the population in Bulgaria is fully informed and well supported by the benefits of the euro involvement and can therefore support this step with confidence,” said Angelika Winzig, ÖVP economist in the European Parliament. Not without reason: because in Bulgaria the introduction of the community currency is accompanied by sometimes violent protests. Also on Tuesday, Prorussian and nationalist Euro opponents were invited to protest against campaigns in Sofia.
Source: Krone
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