Bulgarians Divided: Attitudes Towards Euro Adoption Revealed

Eurobarometer data reveals significant insights into Bulgarian attitudes towards adopting the euro, highlighting both optimism and skepticism among the population. According to the survey, 71% of Bulgarians anticipate their country joining the Eurozone within the next five years, marking a notable increase of 9 percentage points since April 2023. This optimism places Bulgaria ahead of other surveyed EU nations including Romania, where 44% share a similar expectation, followed by the Czech Republic, Poland, Hungary, and Sweden, each ranging between 24% to 33%.

Despite this optimism regarding future adoption, a substantial 65% of Bulgarians believe that Bulgaria is currently unprepared for the transition to the euro, despite multiple adjustments to proposed timelines by political leaders.

When asked about the potential impact of adopting the euro, nearly half (49%) of respondents expressed concerns about negative consequences, with 21% fearing very negative outcomes. Optimism has waned slightly, with only 10% anticipating a very positive effect, while 34% foreseeing a rather positive impact, totaling 44% of optimists overall.

Personal opinions on euro adoption mirror these concerns, with 12% of respondents strongly optimistic, 33% moderately optimistic, 27% expecting somewhat negative outcomes (a 4 percentage point increase), and 20% convinced that the change will worsen their situation.

Public sentiment regarding the timing of euro adoption has also shifted slightly since April 2023. Currently, 28% of Bulgarians favor adopting the euro as soon as possible, a 2 percentage point increase, while an equal percentage prefer never adopting it. Those advocating for a delayed transition decreased by 1 percentage point to 30%, while 13% expressed...