Another country joins the eurozone. The date has been set

Bulgaria is very close to obtaining European Union approval to join the eurozone.
To join the eurozone, several legal and economic conditions must be met.
The euro is to enter into force in Bulgaria on 1 January 2026. At that time, the eurozone will consist of 21 countries.

Reuters reports, citing eurozone officials, that Bulgaria will receive approval to adopt the common currency in a report from the European Commission. At the same time, a report from the European Central Bank on the subject will be published. Both reports are due on June 4.

To join the eurozone, several legal and economic conditions must be met.

Bulgaria certainly meets the requirement regarding the level of public debt , as it is very low there – only about 25 percent of GDP.
The criterion concerning the fiscal deficit, which cannot exceed 3 percent of GDP, is also met, because last year it was exactly at the level of 3 percent, and this year it is to fall to 2.8 percent of GDP.
The Black Sea country also meets the conditions for sufficiently low inflation and yields on its bonds, staying just below the set limits.
Each country joining the euro must also demonstrate the stability of its currency , for which purpose the range of fluctuations of the local currency against the euro is measured. These fluctuations cannot exceed 15 percent. In the case of Bulgaria, this topic is not a problem at all, because it voluntarily and unilaterally attached its currency, the lev, to the euro over twenty years ago.

After the publication of the reports of the European Commission and the ECB, Bulgaria's entry into the eurozone will still have to be accepted by the finance ministers of the countries that make it up, and then the exchange rate of the lev to the euro will have to be set, which will happen in July. The euro is to start operating in Bulgaria on January 1, 2026. At that time, the eurozone will already consist of 21 countries.

Bulgaria joins the eurozone. Deadline is January 1, 2026.

Bulgaria has long sought to join the eurozone , but for much of that time Brussels has been sceptical, pointing to cases of money laundering in the Bulgarian banking system.

This step is also supported by most groups in parliament, although according to a poll from a few days ago, the situation with support among the public is more complicated.

Only 54% of the population is in favor of joining the eurozone. In addition, the majority of this group would like to take this step in a few years, not now. Only 21% of respondents are in favor of adopting the euro from January 2026. On the other hand, 38% of respondents do not want to adopt the euro at all.

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Among the countries that joined the European Union in 2004, the euro was adopted by: