Protests in Sofia over euro adoption, demonstrators announce tent camp on central square

(Patria) - Thousands of demonstrators gathered yesterday on the central square in Sofia protesting against the government's decision to adopt the euro and demanding that the decision be made via a referendum.

The European Union has approved Bulgaria's adoption of the euro on January 1.

The demonstrators, led by civic associations, nationalist and pro-Russian parties known for opposing the euro adoption, announced plans to set up tents on the central square and turn it into a "city of the lev" - named after the Bulgarian currency.

A banner was placed on the square reading: "The battle for the Bulgarian lev is the last battle for Bulgaria."

The leader of the pro-Russian party Revival, Kostadin Kostadinov, stated that adopting the euro would mean "someone else would decide how we spend our money, and the Bulgarian budget would be approved by the European Central Bank."

- This is a coup, a betrayal - said Kostadinov, adding that representatives from Germany, Lithuania, Romania, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, and Hungary had come to the protest in Sofia.

Before the protest, Revival submitted a motion of no confidence in the government to the Bulgarian parliament, accusing it of failing to implement reforms needed to stabilize public finances, instead working on euro adoption.

The motion will be voted on next week, but the pro-European ruling coalition is expected to survive.

Bulgaria has been a member of the European Union since 2007 and is now in the final phase of joining the eurozone.

The final institutional decision will be the approval of the European Parliament in Strasbourg and the Economic and Financial Affairs Council in Brussels on July 8.

The European Council has already given clear support for Bulgaria's entry into the eurozone on January 1, 2026.

During nearly two decades of EU membership, Bulgaria has faced political instability and corruption, which has fueled euroscepticism among its 6.4 million citizens.

Numerous claims by euro opponents are spreading on social media, stoking fear of economic changes that, according to them, could further increase poverty.

Economists believe that joining the eurozone will not bring significant changes to the Bulgarian economy in the short term.