The euro is not just a currency, it is a sign of belonging. This was stated by the Governor of the Bulgarian National Bank Dimitar Radev hours before our country became the 21st member of the eurozone, quoted by bTV.
In a special video address published on December 31, he stated:
„There are moments that are difficult to explain with numbers, with analyses or with institutional formulas. Moments in which one hears not a position, but an experience. More and more often, young, highly educated Bulgarians speak about Bulgaria's European path with an excitement that is not learned or simulated - with confidence that comes not from declarations, but from belonging.
A few weeks ago, I attended such a conversation. A Bulgarian who grew up in the Netherlands and today holds a responsible position position in a European institution, said quite simply: “Since I was a child, I tried to convince my classmates and friends that Bulgaria was part of Europe. They didn't understand me. Today, everyone understands.“
There was no posturing in these words. There was calmness and clarity.
Today, the words “Welcome, Bulgaria“ can be heard and seen in Frankfurt, Brussels, Luxembourg and many other places in Europe. Our response to our friends there is short and clear: “Thank you, friends. We are home.“
This is not a protocol. This is a feeling.
In this sense, the euro is not just an economic solution. It is not just a currency. It is a sign of belonging - that your place is not on the periphery, but in a space of common rules, trust and responsibility. A sign that the effort you have made has been recognized and accepted.
The Bulgarian lev has always been more than money. Its name comes from the lion - a symbol that has accompanied Bulgarian statehood for centuries. The lev remains part of our history and the memory of generations of Bulgarians. No one takes it away. It simply takes its place in the story of our country - alongside the marks, francs and pounds of other European nations.
The euro does not interrupt this story. It continues it.
The Bulgarian letters, the images of the Madara Horseman, Saint Ivan of Rila and Paisius of Hilendar on European money say clearly: we do not give up on ourselves. We declare who we are.
In recent days, this choice was also noted by the Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew - with that calm authority that does not judge, but recognizes the meaning of symbols. A moment that reflects Bulgaria's confident presence in Europe, spiritual maturity and respect for its own history. Not as a rejection of identity, but as its confident presence in a wider community.
This moment does not require rapture. It requires clarity. And the calm confidence that belonging, memory and the future can go together. GOD, PROTECT BULGARIA – that's what it says on the latest European coins. And that says enough. Because Bulgaria is Europe. And Europe is Bulgaria“.