On Saturday, thousands of Bulgarian citizens took to the streets of Sofia and another cities to protest the planned adoption of the euro as an authoritative currency. The demonstrators demanded that the Bulgarian left be preserved and that a national referendum be held on this issue.
The protests were mass and were mainly organised by the Nationalist organization of Rebirth, which has been campaigning for months against entering the euro area.
Manifesters carried national flags and banners with slogans: “We will not give the left!”, “Bulgaria over Brussels” or “Referendum immediately!”. In many cities, demonstrations were peaceful, but the atmosphere was tense. The main rally in Sofia was addressed by Rebirth organization leaders, including Kostadin Kostadinov, who called on the government to retreat its plans to join the euro area, announcing further protests if citizens' voices were ignored.
The protests took place at a crucial minute – a fewer days before the European Union's expected approval of Bulgaria's monetary union membership. The government has made entry into the euro area 1 of the pillars of its strategy for modernisation and European integration. However, the opposition, both political and social, demands that the process be stopped, citing citizens' increasing concerns about inflation, decline in purchasing power and failure of control over monetary policy.
It is worth recalling that these were not the first demonstrations against the euro. In February that year, violent protests were held in Sofia by national communities. Around a 1000 people gathered outside the European Commission. Protesters threw red paint and firecrackers at the building, and at the climax the front door was set on fire. There were clashes with police, in which respective officers were injured and any demonstrators were arrested.
Since then, opposition has only grown. The Rebirth Party, which is referred to as national and anti-globalist, gained crucial public support. In the parliamentary elections, she won 35 seats in the 240-member National Assembly and her influence in the European Parliament is besides increasing. Group leaders consistently stress that the issue of currency should not be decided by political elites, but by citizens through referendums.
According to the polls, a large proportion of Bulgarians are skeptical of the euro. Concerns focus on possible price increases, a decline in real incomes and a weakening of national economical identity. For many Bulgarians, the national currency is not only a means of payment but a symbol of sovereignty.
The government is presently in a hard position – on the 1 hand it seeks to accomplish strategical goals of integration with the West, on the another hand it faces increasing social opposition and force from nationalists. It is not known whether he will decide to make concessions and declare a referendum, or whether he will proceed his course for the euro without public consultation.
