The President of the Economic and Social Council Zornitsa Rusinova and the Vice-Presidents Maria Mincheva (Employers Group) and Plamen Dimitrov (Trade Unions Group) participated in the discussion “Bulgaria, welcome to the euro area” in Brussels. It was organised by the Economic and Monetary Union and Economic and Social Cohesion (ECO) Section of the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC). The event focused on Bulgaria’s accession to the euro area on 1 January 2026, the country’s prospects and the future of the monetary union in the face of economic and geopolitical challenges, as well as the involvement of organised civil society in the process.
BIA and ESC Vice President Maria Mincheva emphasised the economic context of the accession, noting that the path to the euro area is part of the country’s long-term European perspective after the stabilisation of the economy with the currency board. She underlined the consistent efforts of employers’ organisations to maintain this strategic goal regardless of political changes and pointed out that the practical effects of the euro introduction show benefits for business and society. She said the euro was a tool and an opportunity that required sustainable policies.
President of the CPSU and vice-president of the ESC Plamen Dimitrov said that trade unions consistently support joining the euro area, citing analyses of the experience of the Baltic countries. He noted that the data showed an increase in purchasing power in the medium term and stressed that inflationary processes were not a direct result of the introduction of the euro, but of broader economic factors.
Yani Ivanov, Financial Adviser at the Permanent Representation of Bulgaria to the EU and Marinela Petrova, Adviser to the Governor of the Bulgarian National Bank, also took part in the discussion and underlined the strategic importance of the accession and the active new role of the country in policy-making within the euro area.
Representatives of the European institutions also participated with presentations and an overview of Bulgaria’s path towards the euro area.
Paul Coutos, Director of Member States’ Economies I, Directorate General Economic and Financial Affairs at the European Commission, noted that Bulgaria had gone through a challenging path to membership, with its fiscal stability being among the key factors for the positive assessment. He underlined that accession brings substantial economic benefits – lower transaction costs, easier price comparisons, incentives for trade and access to the euro area’s institutional mechanisms, which increase resilience to crises.
For his part, Martin Bijsterbosch, deputy head of the euro area external sector and euro adoption department at the European Central Bank, pointed out that Bulgaria is already deeply integrated with the European economy and euro area membership can contribute to lower interest rates and better conditions for long-term investments, provided macroeconomic stability is maintained.
