Bulgaria adopted the euro on January 1, becoming the 21st member of the eurozone despite widespread public protests, deep political instability and growing concerns over rising prices. The Balkan country joined the EU in 2007 and entered the eurozone’s “waiting room” in 2020 alongside Croatia, which adopted the euro in 2023. It has met all four Maastricht criteria required for euro adoption, including price stability, sound public finances, exchange rate stability and long-term interest rate convergence.
