Rossen Zhelyazkov: We Are Confident That Bulgaria Meets All the Criteria for Euro Adoption

Prime Minister Rosen Zhelyazkov expressed optimism that Bulgaria will receive a positive convergence report from the European Commission but emphasised that until the report is officially released, everything else remains speculative. Speaking in the village of Zagore, where he opened a new logistics centre for a major retail chain, Zhelyazkov also addressed the government's decision to allocate BGN 15 million to resolve the public transport crisis in Sofia.

Zhelyazkov reminded that on June 4, the European Commission is expected to announce its assessment of Bulgaria’s readiness to adopt the euro as of January 1 next year.

"The procedure is lengthy, but this will mark the beginning of the administrative process that should ultimately result in the lifting of Bulgaria’s derogation—imposed when we signed the EU Accession Treaty and lifted because Bulgaria meets the Maastricht criteria," Zhelyazkov said.

The current monitoring, being conducted by several European institutions, is focused on key components: price stability, inflation, and budget deficit.

"We are confident—based on Eurostat data—that we meet these criteria. Therefore, we expect a positive report," said the Prime Minister.

In parallel, the government continues to prepare an information campaign about the benefits of the euro, conduct discussions with retail chains, and design new control mechanisms to prevent speculative pricing.

Zhelyazkov also addressed the BGN 15 million granted by the government for public transport workers in the capital, noting that the debate has been dominated by political narratives rather than factual analysis.

"Every year, the state provides a subsidy for public transport. For 2024, the subsidy to Sofia was BGN 89 million. For 2025, it was increased by BGN 17 million—nearly a 20% increase. To meet wage demands, an additional sum was needed. Before meeting with the unions, I invited Mayor Terziev for a meaningful discussion. His commitment to provide BGN 15 million was matched by an equal contribution from the state. In that sense, Terziev and I became 'partners' in solving the problem."

According to Zhelyazkov, this cooperation is key to enabling Sofia Municipality to adopt its budget.

"The government is not a playing coach for the Sofia City Council or the mayor—it does not step in to secure the capital’s fiscal results," Zhelyazkov emphasised.

He clarified that it was the overall transport subsidy that was increased—not the drivers' salaries—giving the mayor the flexibility to decide how to allocate the funds.