EKIP– Expert Club for Economics and Politics A Different Opinion
- 54% of adult Bulgarians want a referendum on Bulgaria's entry into the eurozone
- 50% of adult Bulgarians are against the introduction of the euro, only 19% support it
- Voters of the major parties are against the euro, while their elected officials are for it.
- 60% of adult Bulgarians consider the leva a stable currency
The majority of Bulgarians do not support Bulgaria's entry into the Eurozone and are inclined to raise the issue in a referendum. This is indicated by a new sociological survey, which was conducted by the sociological agency "Trend" on behalf of EKIP. You can read the full text of the survey at this link.
In view of the recent heated topic about the future of the Bulgarian currency, it is particularly important for the government to become familiar with and listen to the attitudes of the Bulgarian people regarding Bulgaria's planned accession to the Eurozone.
Over the past few years, it is no coincidence that EKIP has been the most active organization on the topic, because it is of historical importance for the future economic and political development of Bulgaria. The decision that Bulgaria will make regarding joining the Eurozone and embarking on the path to ever deeper centralization within the European Union will determine how future generations of Bulgarians will live. Therefore, everyone, both politicians and experts, must approach the topic with extreme responsibility.
The fundamental principles of democracy dictate that those in power should listen to the opinion of the society they are responsible for serving. Especially when it comes to issues of fundamental national interest. That is why we at EKIP considered it extremely necessary to conduct a sociological survey to establish whether there is a consensus between those in power and Bulgarian citizens on the most important economic and political topic of the new decade.
Alas, the results of the conducted sociological survey show rather the opposite. Most Bulgarians (54%) are not convinced by the current course taken by the government and believe that the replacement of our national currency with the euro should be reconsidered in a national referendum. As many as 50% of the population express a position against the adoption of the euro, with only 19% supporting it. It is also noteworthy that among the voters of each of the major parliamentaryly represented political forces in the country, the most widespread position is against the adoption of the euro. This is especially worrying in view of the fact that the very political formations for which they voted are in practically complete consensus that Bulgaria should join the Eurozone.
These data clearly show that there is a huge division between Bulgarian voters and Bulgarian politicians on the question of whether Bulgaria should join the Eurozone. In this context, we are convinced that the hasty and opaque way in which the political class is pushing us towards the Eurozone will lead to an even more serious erosion of public support and will strengthen anti-European sentiment and rhetoric. It is appropriate that entry into ERM II be postponed, at least until a broad debate on the topic has been held. Bulgarian society must be aware of all the risks and potential benefits and reach a full consensus before taking such a radical step, on which Bulgaria’s future economic and political development depends to such a large extent.
