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President Rumen Radev proposes national referendum on the adoption of the euro

Photo: Facebook/President Rumen Radev

In an address to the Bulgarian citizens, the Bulgarian head of state Rumen Radev has announced that he is submitting a proposal to the National Assembly to hold a national referendum. 


The question in it is "Do you agree that Bulgaria should adopt the single European currency "euro" in 2026?".

The president has pointed out that there is no consensus on Bulgaria's readiness to take the strategic decision to adopt the single European currency, nor on the date of its adoption. Rumen Radev is convinced that the basic principles of democracy are also missing when making such an important decision:

"There are contradictory assessments at all levels of the social pyramid: in the political class, in expert circles and among citizens. Inflation, the crisis of trust in the political class, the lack of clear organization and convincing actions by the government to guarantee the purchasing power of citizens and the competitiveness of the Bulgarian economy are adding tension to the processes surrounding the introduction of the euro", Rumen Radev pointed out.

In the words of the Bulgarian president, institutions with critically low legitimacy are making strategic decisions about our common future without listening to the opinions of citizens

"As president, I am convinced that the introduction of the single European currency can and should be done with a convincing national consensus. With the inner conviction of the people, and not with a dismissive disregard for their will. Every Bulgarian citizen has the right to speak out about their money, their well-being and future," the president emphasized, adding that the referendum will be a test of the democratic nature of the National Assembly and will show who follows the principles of democracy.

The referendum among Bulgarian citizens will be a healing for Bulgarian democracy and "will give the people a say" as well as "an opportunity to hear all the arguments "for" and "against", Rumen Radev also pointed out: 

"It will also give the political class the opportunity to restore the dialogue with the voters and fight for their trust, which it has lost in recent years. The nationwide referendum will return thousands of Bulgarians to the polls. Bulgarian democracy is in critical need of this surge of legitimacy".

The head of state stressed that similar referendums have been held in other countries and holding such a referendum will not be a precedent, but will contribute to achieving a national consensus.

"Any attempt by political forces to present the referendum I propose as "for" or "against" Bulgaria's European future will be gross manipulation", said the head of state, reminding that Bulgaria is a full member of the European Union, which has the right to determine when to introduce the European currency.



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