A protest against Bulgaria’s adoption of the euro took place in front of the Bulgarian National Bank (BNB) in Sofia, coinciding with the expected visit of European Central Bank (ECB) President Christine Lagarde. The demonstration was organized by civic groups and the nationalist party “Revival.” Law enforcement officers intervened to prevent participants from burning a European Union flag marked with swastikas.

During the rally, Revival leader Kostadin Kostadinov declared that “the Eurozone will collapse” and insisted that Bulgaria must “restore its financial independence.” Protesters chanted “We want our leva” and “No to the euro,” holding posters accusing European institutions of imposing financial decisions on Bulgaria. They carried a letter addressed to BNB Governor Dimitar Radev, urging him to deliver it personally to Lagarde. The letter alleged manipulation of official economic data and questioned Bulgaria’s fiscal deficit figures, claiming the public had been misled about compliance with Eurozone requirements.

According to Revival representatives, the protest was organized to express opposition to Lagarde’s visit and to declare that Bulgaria does not welcome the introduction of the euro. Kostadinov told journalists that even if Bulgaria is “forced into the Eurozone,” the move would trigger “unforeseen consequences,” claiming that the monetary union would eventually collapse. He accused officials of “illegally pushing” Bulgaria toward the euro through falsified statistics and promised that those responsible would “face criminal accountability.”

The demonstration came ahead of Lagarde’s scheduled participation in the BNB-hosted conference “On the Threshold of the Eurozone,” set to take place the following day. Bulgaria is due to join the Eurozone on January 1, 2026, following confirmation from the European Commission earlier this year that the country meets all technical criteria for membership. The commitment to adopt the euro was made in 2007 upon Bulgaria’s accession to the European Union.

The protest gathered several dozen participants, some of whom voiced concern that Bulgaria’s currency change was being implemented “in a deceitful and unfair way.” One protester told reporters they wanted to show that “there are still people who care,” while another said, “We may be few, but they will not erase us easily.” Two men attempted to set fire to a modified EU (with swastikas) flag but were stopped by the police, who later confiscated it after protesters cut it apart.

Revival and affiliated activists have organized multiple protests against the euro over the past year, one of which escalated into violence when participants clashed with police and attempted to set fire to the entrance of the European Commission building in Sofia. Despite this opposition, most parliamentary parties continue to support Bulgaria’s entry into the Eurozone.

President Rumen Radev had previously called for a national referendum on whether the country should adopt the euro in 2026, but the proposal was dismissed by now former Parliament Speaker Natalia Kiselova, who cited constitutional constraints. The Constitutional Court has already ruled that such a referendum would contradict Bulgaria’s legal commitments as an EU member state.