Bulgaria prepares to join eurozone amid fears of Russian-backed disinformation

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Bulgaria is preparing to adopt the euro in January amid fresh domestic political turbulence and fears that Russia-aligned disinformation is deepening distrust of the new currency.

The Balkan country of 6.5 million people will become the 21st country to join the eurozone on 1 January, as policymakers in Brussels and Sofia hope it will boost the economy of the EU’s poorest nation and cement its pro-western trajectory.

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On a recent visit to Sofia, the [EU] economy commissioner, Valdis Dombrovskis said the move was key at a time of Russia’s war with Ukraine, rising geopolitical tensions and global economic uncertainty that “underline the importance of European unity”.

“Most European countries – including Bulgaria – are far too small to shape today’s world on their own. They only stand to gain necessary weight by fully integrating into the European Union’s larger political and economic structures,” he said.

Despite the touted benefits, however, Bulgarians are far from united. A recent survey by the ministry of finance showed that, while 51% of citizens were in favour of joining the single currency, 45% were against it.

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A fight broke out in the parliament in June when the euro entry was approved by the European commission, with MPs from the far-right, pro-Russian Revival party blocking the podium.

Petar Ganev, a senior research fellow at the institute of market economics, a thinktank based in Sofia, said the division on the euro was symptomatic of broader political tension.

“This is not surprising. The country is divided on almost everything that you can imagine,” said Ganev. “And after the political instability, we ended up in a very hostile political environment.”

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A four-year political crisis marked by seven parliamentary elections and widespread corruption have eroded trust in the government and contributed to the polarised political climate. Last week, the government of the former prime minister Rosen Zhelyazkov resigned after less than a year in office after weeks of mass anti-corruption protests across the country.

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Victor Papazov, a macro economist and adviser to the anti-EU Revival party that has campaigned against euro membership and is close to Vladimir Putin’s United Russia, claimed Bulgaria was heading for a Greek-style crisis.

“Any person in their right mind would oppose adopting the euro.” said Papazov, in a lengthy written statement. He added: “Joining now will make things worse and faster. In my opinion there is not a single serious positive in adopting the euro.”

The leader of Revival, Kostadin Kostadinov, faced criticism earlier this year when he made the unfounded claim that Bulgarians would lose their savings after joining the euro due to a different exchange rate.

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Investigative reports, meanwhile, have found that a network of Russian-linked social media campaigns sought to undermine support for the euro by spreading disinformation.

Asked about alleged Russian influence on public opinion about the euro, Dombrovskis said it was “no secret” Russia was waging a hybrid war against Europe. “It is provocation, acts of sabotage, violation of European airspace, meddling in political processes in the European Union, also in other countries, and it is spreading disinformation,” he said.

Despite the protests and fears about joining, many remain positive. Maria Valentinova, 35, a pharmacist from Sofia, said the euro “will be good for the economy of the country in the long run”. She was glad her six-year-old son would grow up in a country belonging to the eurozone.

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