Thousands of Bulgarians have protested in Sofia and other major cities against government plans to adopt the euro, demanding a referendum on the currency.
Led by civic groups and nationalist parties, protesters sang patriotic songs and chanted slogans such as “Freedom for the Bulgarian lev” and “The future belongs to sovereign states”.
The anti-euro rally occurred four days before Bulgaria is expected to receive approval from Brussels to join the eurozone.
In Sofia, demonstrators carried flags of the pro-Russian Vazrazhdane party and a large banner stating “The battle for the Bulgarian lev is the last battle for Bulgaria”.
A heightened police presence ensured the protest remained peaceful.
Bulgaria, which joined the European Union in 2007, is among its poorest members, experiencing years of instability that have fostered Euroscepticism among its 6.4 million citizens.
Disinformation campaigns, both domestic and foreign, have heightened fears surrounding economic changes that could lead to increased poverty.
President Rumen Radev has supported anti-euro sentiment by proposing a referendum on the currency earlier this month, citing public anxieties about inflation and purchasing power.
Parliament’s pro-European majority rejected the proposal, accusing Radev of supporting Moscow through a last-minute attempt to undermine the euro adoption, which aims to strengthen European integration amidst growing geopolitical tensions.
