President Radev: Bulgaria is Delayed in Implementing Consumer Protection Mechanisms After Joining the Eurozone

Bulgaria is late with its consumer protection mechanisms after joining the euro area. This is what President Rumen Radev commented at an international forum organised by the Economist magazine.

Bulgaria is falling behind with its mechanisms for consumer protection following accession to the Eurozone. This was commented on by President Rumen Radev, who attended an international forum organised by The Economist magazine on February 5.

He wished success to the new government and drew attention to the fact that the question is not whether Bulgaria will join the Eurozone, but when it will happen..

Deputy Prime Minister, Grozdan Karadzhov, once again stated that one of the main goals of the government would be joining the Eurozone. He did not comment on whether this could happen as early as the beginning of 2026.

"There is currently a debate in society – the question is when we will become a member of the Eurozone, and I am confident that the Bulgarian government, the Bulgarian Parliament, and all institutions will take the necessary measures and make the required decisions for us to join the Eurozone. We need to develop a strong mechanism for controlling and monitoring prices, otherwise, we will be disappointed. We need to think about vulnerable individuals and communities. This is the government's responsibility – control mechanisms need to be put in place, and I must say that we are already late," President Rumen Radev said.

"Our first and most important goal is to secure Bulgaria’s state budget. A budget that will pull the country out of the precipitous fall it has been led into due to irrational and oversized expenditures. Immediately after achieving this goal, as the Prime Minister stated yesterday, namely entering a deficit of up to 3% and no more than 40% of GDP as the state budget, then perhaps the very next morning we will sit down and restate our priority – joining the Eurozone," added Deputy Prime Minister Grozdan Karadzhov.