Euroceticism is growing in Bulgaria to the ride of rising nationalist parties and much of the population does not want to join the single currency.
The European Union gave green light so that the Bulgaria Adira to the euro From January 1, 2026. This is a significant step towards European integration, which occurs only six months after the country has become a full right member of the Schengen space, where it is possible to circulate freely between borders.
However, despite the rapid pace of the approach to the institutional level, Euroceticism remains present between the population and in the national political panorama.
Protests have emerged against adherence to euro both in the capital, Sofia and in several other cities in the country. A survey held in May revealed that 38% of Bulgarians oppose The single currency, while only 21% argue that change will take place in January.
Others prefer to postpone the transition for a few more years. In a similar poll in January, 40% said they would never like Bulgaria to join the euro.
Protests against the euro are usually associated with Nationalist political parties Bulgarians. The most influential is Vazrazhdane, which has been gaining popularity: in the parliamentary elections of October 2024 won 13.63% of the votes, when in April 2021 had only obtained 2.45%.
Bulgaria joined the EU in 2007. In December 2021, an former NDSV (Simeon National Movement II) spokesman, which ruled between 2001 and 2009, revealed that the ones Bulgarians had high expectations in relation to the entrance to the European Block.
They thought that it would be enough for the country to reach Switzerland’s level of economic development and that its standard of living would dramatically rise. The dream was for Bulgaria to become the “Switzerland of the Balkans”given the similarity in the size of the population and the tourist potential.
Since then, the EU has channeled 16.3 billion euros for Bulgaria, especially for infrastructure development. However, after a year of fieldwork, it was clear that Sofia was the main beneficiary: she received 3.1 billion euros, while Plovdiv received 800 million. Small municipalities and rural areas did not feel the positive effects so much. In some areas, the population continues to have difficulty accessing basic public services, such as quality water supply, which affects almost 15% of Bulgarians.
The promise of a “European” lifestyle still did not reach many regions of the country.
Entry in the EU allowed many Bulgarian citizens to live and work abroad. In 2022, there were officially 861 054 Bulgarians residing in other EU countries. Currently, about 74% of young Bulgarians consider, more or less serious, the hypothesis to emigrate.
This exodus has caused a brain escape and contributed to the population reduction: From 7.68 million in 2006 to 6.44 million in 2024.
According to an analyst of a Sopia -based NGO, many parents expect their children to return, as jobs abroad are often not highly qualified.
EURO adhesion should benefit more people with international businesses, especially resident in Sofia, than the elderly living in rural areas. Are the younger and active that have harvested the largest fruits of European integration, as has happened in Romania.
Nevertheless, support for EU adherence has been growing in recent times.
Keep the coalition united
Despite Euroceticism, European integration is one of Few themes that unite the fragile government Bulgarian coalition – although not all parties agree with entry into the eurozone.
Between April 2021 and October 2024, the country held Seven Parliamentary Elections. Surprisingly, the coalition formed in October 2024 has been maintained. One of the most important factors has been precisely consensus around the European project.
However, with mixed results so far and a significant opposition to adherence to the euro, the Bulgarian government will have to act with caution to prevent Euro movements from growing – as has happened in other countries of the European Union.
