Bulgaria sees major protests in sofia over planned adoption of the euro • FRANCE 24 English
Dropping a national currency and joining the euro is a major decision. These Bulgarians say it’s a bad one. They want a referendum which would allow voters opinions to be taken into account. What we want is to protect our kids because our lev is our currency that keeps us strong. a Bulgarian. Their main concern losing a part of Bulgaria’s sovereignty and increasing inflation. Their country is one of Europe’s poorest. Croatia, which joined the Euro zone in 2023, faced inflation afterwards. But experts say that price hikes are not directly linked to the countries joining the euro. Countries who have not joined the common currency like Hungary have also had inflation. The war in Ukraine and energy price hikes are among the reasons for this. Earlier this month, Bulgaria’s president submitted a request to hold a referendum on the euro which was rejected by the speaker of the National Assembly. The National Assembly speaker’s decision to reject President Radv’s request is her own. But it’s appropriate because his proposal was not only unconstitutional, it was also aimed at dividing society. Unconstitutional because according to some experts, Bulgaria’s hands are tied. Its accession treaty to the EU states that the goal is to increasingly integrate it into the block. Meanwhile, observers say that establishing the Euro zone has brought stability.
Bulgaria is expected to get a green light from Brussels in June to adopt the euro — but the prospect is unsettling many citizens.
#Bulgaria #Euro #Sofia
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42 comments
Expert don't say dat Ukraine is getting billions 😅😅😅😅 Ukraine is to blame 😅😅😅 stop give free money to Ukraine 😅
So now were writing names of cities with lowercase letters?
This is stupid. If you are within EU, you have a commitment to eventually adopt Euro. Otherwise, leave EU
3000 people is NOT a major protest
To all not Bulgarians watching this video that doesn't show the whole truth and misrepresent the issue with referendum, I want to ask you – do really want another Greece into euro zone? Do you really need another crises? Don't you have enough problems? Let Bulgarian folk decide when they want to join euro zone. This choice was taken from us. We want a referendum.
For those that are writing that it was not major protests
They was 50 000 people only in Sofia. They had also protesters in other cities as well.
The total number of people who participated in the protest was more than 300 000 people.
the problem is not the inflation (Euro helps with that), the problem is when the government needs to have a cheaper currency => more inflation, to be able to compete when exporting etc. But if you are an importing country, then a strong currency is good for you, making imports cheaper. I think the government has the financial expertise and should know what is better for its citizens.
I am from Bulgaria and I cannot understand why there is this manipulation of the facts here. The President of Bulgaria has never asked for a referendum to cancel Bulgaria's accession to the eurozone. The request for a referendum was whether to postpone the accession to the eurozone by one year and for Bulgaria to do so in 2027, and not in 2026, as is the government's goal. The main concerns are related to the insufficiently well-functioning institutions and their ability to protect consumer rights when changing the currency.
Also, it is a fact that 55% of Bulgarians do not consider themselves sufficiently well informed about the consequences of entering the eurozone, and for those with higher education the percentage is 50. Which unequivocally points to a failure in the explanatory campaign of the Bulgarian government and the European institutions responsible for this mechanism.
In addition, the proposal for a referendum by the President of the Republic of Bulgaria is not unconstitutional because it is for postponing the act, not for its cancellation. While the actions of the Speaker of the Parliament were 100% illegal, because the authority to determine what is unconstitutional and what is not is within the powers of the Constitutional Court of the Republic of Bulgaria alone. And it only considers decisions, not proposals.
I am subscribed to this channel and had high trust in it, but after this gross manipulation or incompetence of the material, I will now treat the information provided by it with a high degree of distrust.
Why are you afraid of democracy? We want to vote for it! #Referendum
Russia will eventually join the Euro also!
the euro will become digital and be much more as mone. It will monitor everything you do and serve as a " corrector "
You know democracy is already gone when holding a referendum is considered needless because supposedly the people are too dumb to know their own good, that's the mindset of every dictatorship everywhere.
This is what happens when people are ignorant about currency moves and monetary mechanisms.
EU = URSS
NO to the euro! #Referendum
80% from the Bulgarian peoples wants euro!!!
Adopting Euro nonsence
Big mistake. Bulgaria was warned but globalists rule.
Major protests?? Few idiots… Everything is fine with euro adoption in Bulgaria.
The voice of the minority is amplified on the web of course. BGN has been pegged to the EUR for 20 years or so.
As they should good for them.
European union should be clear and strong, and should kick out those who dont want to integrate fully as euopean, and that of course would include aswell adopting the euro, bulgaria should have adpted the euro already long ago, so should poland, sweden, hungary, romania and Czech Republic!
The euro penetration is in progress despite the will in the referendum
The protest was not only in Sofia, it is was in the all country. This week on 4th June expect even more bigger. In Bulgaria we don’t want the EU mafia, we don’t want €€€. The EU parliament is the biggest mafia than all the mafia in the world
Say no. Do not become a German colony. No, no. Not a wise idea.
No euro pls
Everyone speaks about national sovereignty, except there is no national monetary sovereignty since 1999. As a bulgarian, I say "Yes" to the euro.
Lots of anti-eu trolls in the comments. This is not the general bulgarian opinion, especially in big cities.
Paid russophile shills, not worthy of having a discussion with. Either paid or emotional people love pretending they want to have a debate the most.
Digital slavery
Bulgaria wants BULGARIAN LEV! No to the €.
F the €, from a European
Croatia have debt 150%of gdp,while Bulgaria have 35% of gdp,the lowest in the EU after Luxembourg
The protest against europolicy is connected with deeper reasons…Personaly i insist on independent economica and social development and then we can become equal pertners with others. We are not European or whatever colony.
Bulgaria was forced to adopt euro currency! The majority of bulgarian people are strongly against it! This is tyranny!
300,000 Bulgarians disappeared in protest against the euro. 600,000 signed a referendum, but the parliament rejected it!
We want our Lev!!!!!!
Yes! We want the bulgarian lev.
Well sad times 😢
🇧🇬🇪🇺💶!!!
now watch every getting more expensive in bulgaria
Everything is fine. Finally, Bulgaria will be able to save on unnecessary expenses by dissolving unnecessary institutions.
The Parliament is the first. Not only will money be saved on salaries of people on whom nothing will depend, but also on administration and elections. When you have no currency and, accordingly, money, you decide nothing and nothing depends on you. Therefore, the only elections they can leave are for the European Parliament. The European Parliament appoints a governor and that's it. Problem solved!
Another unnecessary institution would be the Bulgarian National Bank, again for the same reasons. You have no currency, nothing depends on you.
There are a few more, but I'll stop here.
Congratulations Bulgarians!
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