Overview
- Authorities set a fixed conversion rate of 1.95583 lev per euro, with the OeNB outlining exchanges capped at 2,000 BGN per person per day and excluding certain old notes and all Bulgarian coins.
- The first official business day using the euro will be Monday, January 5, following a special holiday arrangement across the first week of January.
- New Bulgarian euro coins feature national motifs such as the Madara Rider, St. Ivan Rilski, and Paisius of Hilendar, and their similarity to former lev coins has prompted warnings about potential confusion.
- The accession proceeds despite a government resignation after mass protests, with EU bodies stating Bulgaria meets the necessary fiscal and monetary stability criteria.
- Public skepticism persists over potential price hikes, even as business surveys—particularly among Austrian investors—signal expectations of stronger orders and higher revenues after the switch.