Joining Eurozone in 2026 Bulgaria’s priority: Finance minister

Sofia: Bulgaria is still prioritizing joining the Eurozone in 2026, the country’s finance minister said Tuesday, pushing back against a proposal for a national referendum on the issue.

Temenuzhka Petkova said Eurozone membership is essential for maintaining Bulgaria’s economic and financial stability amid ongoing global uncertainty, according to the state-run BTA news agency.

“Despite the president’s attempts to divert our country from achieving its strategic goal, we continue to work actively to ensure that Bulgaria takes its rightful place in the euro area,” she said.

Petkova is a member of the conservative Citizens for European Development of Bulgaria party. President Rumen Radev is an independent.

On Monday, Radev submitted a proposal for a national referendum asking whether Bulgarians support adopting the euro in 2026.

“The referendum will serve as a corrective for Bulgarian democracy. It will give people a voice and allow all arguments to be heard. It will offer the political class a chance to restore dialogue with voters and to fight for their trust — a trust that has been lost in recent years,” he said.

However, Petkova said Bulgaria is moving confidently towards Eurozone accession on Jan. 1, 2026.