The protests of the "Vazrazhdane" party against the visit of the President of the European Central Bank Christine Lagarde are a "combination of political gain and fears of some Bulgarians". This was stated by financier Levon Hampartzumyan on the air of "The Day Live" on NOVA NEWS, commenting on public reactions to Bulgaria's upcoming accession to the eurozone.
“The deeper we enter the eurozone, the faster these fears will disappear“, he emphasized and added that such concerns are natural in countries undergoing a process of currency integration, but the experience of other countries shows that they decrease over time.
Regarding the discussed state budget, the financier noted that there is a lack of overall vision and transparency in the way it is presented to the public. “Usually, when serious politicians present a budget, they also explain its goals. However, at the moment they are giving us partial information and as if they are testing us as a focus group, thereby underestimating the public“, he commented.
According to Hampartzumyan, there will inevitably be an increase in taxes in the 2026 budget. He explained that during the introduction of the euro in the first six months there will be no currency conversion fees, including for stotinki.
“Even stotinki will be converted into euro coins“, the financier specified.
Hampartzumyan recommended that citizens use bank cards and mobile applications for shopping and payments, as this will be the easiest and safest way for automatic currency conversion, without the need for manual operations. “This way, all responsibility will remain with financial institutions, and for consumers the process will be completely seamless“, he added.