In an article entitled “Bulgaria cannot enter the Eurozone in January. That’s why’ the Brussels publication Politico claims that ‘January 2026 at the earliest’ is the most realistic deadline. The Brussels-based CEPS institute was cited.
It takes into account the technical preparation of the country. High inflation and wavering public support – too. It is also partly due to Russian disinformation. Therefore, the country will almost certainly miss its goal of joining in 2025.
The next regular report of the European Central Bank is expected by the end of spring. It will describe the country’s readiness to join the single currency. The last regular government said it would ask for a separate readiness assessment later in a bid to win approval for its target date of January 1, 2025.
“I strongly believe that Bulgaria will join the Eurozone in 2025,” said Pascal Donahue (Chairman of the Group of Eurozone Finance Ministers). “The question is when your country will introduce the euro as its currency. Surrounded by the Prime Minister, the Deputy Prime Minister and the Foreign Minister of the country, his presence carried a lot of European political power. A month later, the coalition government collapsed and these three ministers were swept from their posts. Donahue’s visit — rallying support for Bulgaria’s faltering bid to become the 21st country to use the euro — came at a less than ideal time,” writes Catherine Carlson.
Politico spoke to politicians and experts who say the target date will not be met because of political turmoil, stubborn inflation and lackluster public support.
The article concludes with the conclusion that publicly the member states of the eurozone support Bulgaria’s entry into their ranks in January 2025, but in private conversations senior officials say that this almost certainly will not happen. “It’s off,” one of them states directly.
