The world media reacted to the Commission's convergence report, which paves the way for Bulgaria's accession to the eurozone.

“The European Commission has finally given Bulgaria the green light to join the eurozone in 2026, making it the 21st country to join the single currency bloc,” wrote the Financial Times.

Agence France-Presse described the EU's green light for Bulgaria to adopt the euro on January 1, 2026, as a “historic” step.

Euroactive called the report a “significant victory” for the Sofia government.

At the beginning of next year, Bulgaria will officially adopt the euro as its currency, cementing its place at the heart of the EU at a time of continuing turmoil on Europe's eastern flank, Politico writes.

Although Bulgaria's currency, the lev, has been pegged to the euro since 1999, the country currently has no influence over ECB policy. As a member of the eurozone, in addition to using euro banknotes and coins, Bulgaria will also have a seat on the Governing Council of the European Central Bank (ECB), which sets interest rates, Reuters pointed out.

Radio Free Europe noted that the decision in favor of adopting the single European currency is Bulgaria's second major step in just one year on its path to full integration into the European Union, after Sofia became a full member of the Schengen Agreement in January and Bulgaria's borders with neighboring Greece and Romania are now completely open.

Bulgaria wanted to adopt the currency earlier, but in recent years Brussels concluded that inflation in the country was too high to meet the necessary requirements. The average inflation rate in Bulgaria in the 12 months to April 2025 was 2.7%, slightly below the reference value, France 24 reported.

However, the global media did not fail to mention the polarization among Bulgarians regarding the country's entry into the eurozone. The latest Eurobarometer survey showed that 50% of Bulgarians are against it, while 43% are in favor. Among the reasons are fears of inflation, distrust of official institutions in a country that has had seven governments in four years, and widespread misinformation on social media, the Associated Press reported. | BGNES