The Bulgarian National Assembly has once again dismissed the proposal by the "Revival" party for a referendum on Bulgaria's adoption of the euro. In the vote, 50 MPs supported the proposal, 112 opposed it, while 53 abstained. Among the supporters were the opposition parties MECH, Greatness, and Revival, alongside one MP from the Bulgarian Socialist Party (BSP), which is part of the ruling coalition. GERB, a member of the ruling coalition, as well as the opposition coalition "We Continue the Change-Democratic Bulgaria (WCC-DB) and DPS-New Beginning (DPS-Peevski), voted against the referendum. MPs from "There Is Such a People" (TISP) and the Bulgarian Socialist Party, both within the ruling coalition, along with DPS-Dogan, chose to abstain.

Revival leader Kostadin Kostadinov announced plans for a protest against the euro on May 31. The demonstration will start at 12:00 in front of the National Assembly in Sofia, with parallel events planned in other cities. The protest is backed by citizens, public figures, and is supported by Revival. Kostadinov shared this information with reporters at the National Assembly, stressing that public pressure was the only way to show that Bulgaria was not governed by its own elected officials, but by external actors following Brussels’ directives.

Commenting on President Rumen Radev’s recent warnings about potential price hikes following the release of the convergence report on the euro, Kostadinov said these were not fears, but realities. According to him, every country that has adopted the euro has experienced a surge in inflation.

The president’s call for a referendum on Bulgaria’s euro adoption next year has sparked renewed criticism from parliament and intensified disputes within the National Assembly.

While awaiting the Constitutional Court’s ruling, GERB leader Boyko Borissov defended the government’s stance outside the parliament, whereas the opposition expressed mixed reactions.

“The law on the introduction of the euro in Bulgaria was promulgated by decree on August 19, 2024, and signed by President Rumen Radev following an EU Council decision,” Borissov stated. He also emphasized the newly empowered Commission for the Protection of Competition (CPC), urging all institutions to fulfill their legal roles.

Opposition parties, however, showed divided opinions. Some criticized the president and dismissed his concerns about rising prices after the euro’s adoption.

Asen Vassilev from “We Continue the Change” said, “Experience from other countries adopting the euro shows price increases are minimal, around 0.2 to 0.3 percent.” Meanwhile, Ivaylo Mirchev of “Democratic Bulgaria” accused Radev of hypocrisy: “If the president truly cared about prices, he wouldn’t have approved the costly contract with ‘Botas,’ committing Bulgaria to nearly 6 billion leva over 13 years.”

Delyan Peevski, head of “DPS-New Beginning,” condemned what he called charlatans stirring unrest, alluding to the president and his associates. Peevski called on the ruling coalition to urgently expand the Commission for the Protection of Competition's powers to address public concerns.

Other opposition voices shifted criticism toward the ruling party and the EU. Kostadin Kostadinov of “Revival” described the situation as a constitutional coup, while Ivelin Mihaylov from “Greatness” questioned the EU’s honesty regarding Bulgaria’s eurozone entry and the convergence report.

Mihaylov expressed skepticism about the EU turning a blind eye to Bulgaria’s mafia influence, although he supports European integration. Speaking outside parliament, he stressed the need for a genuine market economy and real freedoms for citizens. “If the EU ignores the mafia’s presence and claims all is well, then something is amiss for Bulgarians,” he said.

He also argued the current government must fall and called on Europe to take a firmer stance on Bulgaria’s internal issues, similar to its actions in Romania and Georgia.

Recalling past threats in parliament, Mihaylov said that Nikolay Markov had intimidated him on behalf of Delyan Peevski. He also shared that he had been summoned by the State Agency for National Security (SANS) as a form of pressure linked to his associations, warning that even law-abiding citizens should now be concerned about mafia influence in the country.