The euro as the official currency from July 1, 2025, but if we meet the criteria. At a special briefing in the Party House, former Minister of Finance and now MP from PP-DB Asen Vassilev boasted about the latest Eurostat data - for the first time, Bulgaria is not the last in the European Union in terms of income. For the first time, Bulgaria and Bulgarians are second to last in terms of income, we have come off the bottom, Vassilev is satisfied.
He expects Bulgaria to meet the inflation criteria in September and then to request the convergent report on the euro. If the convergent report comes out within the current year, then from July 1, 2025 we can introduce the euro as an official currency, Asen Vassilev expects.
In his words, the economic model that continues with the current budget and that ensures a reduction in inequalities and an increase in income works for Bulgarian citizens.
Asen Vassilev commented on the drop in inflation. "Inflation, when it went up and when it went down, in Bulgaria is mainly an import.
Bulgaria is tied to the euro through a currency board and inflation is determined by the currency policy of the European Central Bank.
What is seen now is that inflation was over 10% last year at this time, and now it is currently 2.5%," the former finance minister reported.
"The only way to have a stable government and a normal environment in which business can develop and the incomes of Bulgarians grow is for this legislation to be adopted,' he stressed.
When asked why the former director of the Customs Agency Petya Bankova was in custody then, Vassilev stated: "Petya Bankova is in custody because she promoted 18 people. No charges of corruption or smuggling have been filed.