The Bulgarian lev, which has been the national currency since 1881, will lose its status as legal tender from February 1. This is reported by UNN with reference to BBC.
Details
From February 1, the lev will cease to be legal tender. From August 2025, all stores will be obliged to display prices in both currencies. The Bulgarian lev has been the national currency since 1881, but since 1997 it has been pegged to European currencies, and later to the euro.
Currently, many stores have already prepared coins and banknotes of the new currency. In January, payments are allowed in both levs and euros, but change will only be given in euros.
Opinion polls show that Bulgaria's 6.5 million population is more or less equally divided on the new currency, and political turmoil is not conducive to an easy transition. Prime Minister Rosen Zhelyazkov's coalition government lost a vote of no confidence on December 11 after massive protests against the 2026 budget. Bulgaria has held seven elections in the last four years, with an eighth likely to take place early next year.
Recall
Russian propaganda launched a campaign to discredit Bulgaria's accession to the eurozone, scheduled for January 1, 2026. Bulgarian special services discovered a network of accounts spreading false claims and manipulations, creating fears about rising prices and loss of sovereignty.