Watch: ARTE Europe Weekly: What does adopting the euro mean for Bulgaria?
The lev, which was first established by the Bulgarian National Bank in 1880, has been replaced
Out with the lev, and in with the euro. On January 1, Bulgaria joined the eurozone, but almost half of the population is against it, fearing that it will lead to higher prices.
For Gen Z protesters, however, the problem isn’t the money – it’s what their politicians are doing with it. Huge demonstrations against corruption toppled the government in December, making it a rocky start to the year for the country and its new currency.
This interview is produced by ARTE and distributed in nine languages thanks to the Emove Hub project. Participating media outlets include EL PAÍS (Spain), Gazeta Wyborcza (Poland), Internazionale (Italy), Ir (Latvia), Kathimerini (Greece), Le Soir (Belgium) and Telex (Hungary). Each receives funding from the European Union under the European Media Hubs call, led by the Directorate-General for Communications Networks, Content and Technology (DG Connect).