Photo: Council of Ministers of the Republic of Bulgaria
A high-level conference titled "Bulgaria on the Threshold of the Eurozone" took place at Boyana Residence on4 November as part of the national campaign of the Ministry of Finance and the Bulgarian National Bank for the introduction of the euro in Bulgaria starting January 1, 2026.
The event's opening session was attended by Prime Minister Rosen Zhelyazkov and Kristalina Georgieva, Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund (IMF). Christine Lagarde, President of the European Central Bank (ECB), who is visiting Bulgaria for the first time, also delivered an address.
The euro is not merely a monetary unit but a strategic choice that affirms Bulgaria’s place at the heart of a united and strong Europe, said Prime Minister Rosen Zhelyazkov in his remarks to the audience.
Kristalina Georgieva drew attention to the fact that, although adopting the euro is an important step, it does not, by itself, guarantee a higher standard of living. According to her, the task now is to embrace the euro, combine it with sound policies, and propel the process of economic convergence to the next level so that per capita income reaches the EU average over the next decade.
Bulgaria's accession to the eurozone on January 1, 2026, is a significant step in the country’s European integration, but it should not be seen as the destination: it is the beginning of a journey of continued reforms, said Christine Lagarde, urging the Bulgarian society not to succumb to "reform fatigue".
The leaders' dialogue was followed by a high-level roundtable with Finance Minister Temenuzhka Petkova, central bank Governor Dimitar Radev, European Commissioner for Economy and Productivity Valdis Dombrovskis, and Pierre Gramegna, Managing Director of the European Stability Mechanism.