Massive protests in Bulgaria rejecting the government's plans to join the Eurozone.

Thousands protested in the streets of Bulgaria today, Saturday, rejecting the government's plans to join the Eurozone, demanding to keep the national currency, the Bulgarian Lev, and not replace it with the Euro. The protests started in the capital Sofia and other cities, organized by the far-right "Volya" party and civil society organizations, calling for a referendum on joining the European currency union. Protesters fear that adopting the Euro will lead to price hikes and erode the country's economic sovereignty, considering preserving the Lev as safeguarding "Bulgaria's freedom." Volya party leader, Kostadin Kostadinov, stated during the demonstration: "We have a clear popular will, people clearly say: we do not want to destroy the Bulgarian Lev. We want to preserve our national currency and our freedom, which is why we demand a referendum." Bulgarian President Rumen Radev formally requested parliament to hold a referendum on adopting the Euro as the official currency. The European Central Bank announced in 2024 that Bulgaria is currently not qualified to join the Eurozone due to high inflation rates conflicting with membership criteria. Nevertheless, the Bulgarian government continues to work towards joining by 2026. Bulgaria is one of seven EU countries yet to join the Eurozone, along with the Czech Republic, Denmark, Hungary, Poland, Romania, and Sweden. It is worth noting that all these countries, except Denmark which has a permanent exception, are obligated to join the Euro once they meet the required economic conditions.