Rapids in Sofia: Protest against euros in Bulgaria-Fire before EU representation

Nationalists in Bulgaria have lit fire in protest against the planned introduction of the euro before receiving the EU representative in Sofia. They also poured red color onto the glass facade of the building in the center of the capital. They threw Molotov cocktails and eggs. The police spoke of six arrested demonstrators and ten injured police officers.

The government in Sofia condemned the riots. The coalition cabinet, which has been in office since January, is trying to join the Balkanland to the euro zone on January 1, 2026. Bulgaria has been a EU member since 2007.

EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen was outraged by the incidents. On the platform X., she wrote about “outrageous scenes in Sofia” in Europe.

“No to the euro”, followers of the Proorussian Nationalist Opposition Party Wasraschdane (rebirth) called beforehand during a protest rally in front of the Bulgarian National Bank (BNB). Wasraschdane accuses the National Bank to falsify data to enable the introduction of the euro. With the introduction of the euro, Bulgaria would lose its national sovereignty, the party complains.

Localists call for nationalists about the state currency

Wasraschdane boss Kostadin Kostadinow demanded a referendum on the preservation of the Bulgarian national currency LEW (German: lion). He recalled that 604,000 signatures for a referendum were collected. But the Bulgarian Parliament had rejected a referendum on the currency question in 2023.

According to an opinion survey by the Bulgarian Institute of Mjara from the end of January, more than half of the adults (57.1 percent) “in principle” are against an introduction to the euro, 39 percent. Only 25.7 percent support an accession to the 2026 euro zone.

“If our voting rights are trampled, we have no choice but to oppose us,” said Kostadinow. The Wasraschdane boss had already threatened arson. He called for further protest next Wednesday.