All about the €€€: How Bulgaria’s euro dreams could become a nightmare

EU Confidential

POLITICO

Politics, News Commentary, News

4.4 • 175 Ratings

🗓️ 13 June 2025

⏱️ 41 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Bulgaria’s big step toward using the euro is a victory for European unity — but the country itself isn’t united on whether joining the common currency is a good idea. And if Sofia is actually jumping the gun, the risks to the whole eurozone are dire. Izabella Kaminska, POLITICO senior editor and finance expert, joins host Sarah Wheaton to unpack the pros and cons of ditching the lev for both Sofia and Brussels Then, Gabrielius Landsbergis, Lithuania’s former foreign minister and one of Europe’s most hawkish voices on Ukraine and defense, stops by with a blunt message ahead of the June 24-25 NATO summit. He warns of EU complacency, calls for tougher action to support Kyiv, and offers a glimpse of his life after politics — including a forthcoming memoir and whether a return to the spotlight might be in the cards. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcript

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1:06.1	The Euro was supposed to bring unity, but for a while there, remember Greece in 2010? It nearly
1:15.7	tore the EU apart. A common currency built on wildly different economies turned out to be a
1:23.3	pretty risky experiment. Still, a quarter century after the euro was born, and these days holding strong, Bulgaria
1:33.0	is lining up to join the club.
1:36.1	The European Commission and the European Central Bank say it's ready, but plenty of
1:41.0	Bulgarians aren't so sure.
1:48.7	Let's go! But plenty of Bulgarians aren't so short. On the streets of Sofia, thousands have been protesting what they see as a rushed political decision with real economic risks.
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